Snapchat’s Spectacles are like GoPros for your face. The stylish sunglasses’ two embedded cameras immediately capture photos and short 10-second videos when one of the discreet buttons on the temple is pressed. Released today, Spectacles 3 is Snapchat’s newest version, which can now produce three-dimensional photos and videos with animated augmented reality effects.
For the past week, I’ve been testing out the company’s new, quite pricey $380 face camera, which is now available in limited quantities on Snapchat’s website. It seems to be the ultimate ~influencer~ wearable, designed specifically to create eye-popping imagery that will stand out in a social media feed.
For normals, the first-person footage captured by the Spectacles is wonderfully — and surprisingly — personal. But the new animated AR video filters don’t add much and, in fact, distract from scenes.
BuzzFeed News
The new Spectacles are unquestionably hip. They have steel, rounded frames like the kind that Natalie Portman wears in Léon: The Professional, and that usually only people with angular, Portmanesque faces can pull off.
The sunglasses snap elegantly into their case, which is also their charger. The Spectacles can capture up to 70 separate 10-second videos on a single charge.
Unless a passerby looks closely, or the LED light is blinking, they wouldn’t notice that the glasses had two cameras onboard, which is largely the point.
Previous versions of Spectacles had one embedded camera on the right and an LED light on the left to indicate recording. The Spectacles 3 has two embedded cameras on each side with an LED ring around the lens that lights up when you capture photos and videos. Snapchat’s software uses footage from the two cameras to sense the scene’s depth and project 3D effects, which are applied to videos using the Snapchat app.
While you need the Snapchat app to import photos and videos from the Spectacles, sharing isn’t limited to Snapchat. The default capture is a round video, but it can be exported in a variety of orientations and sizes, including a portrait (for Instagram stories), square, or 16:9 ratio.
I added one of Snapchat’s new AR filters to a video of my husband, Will, performatively biking across the Golden Gate Bridge. The filter is supposed to add neon arcs over what it detects as a road. The software did a good job of applying swirling lasers in the right places — but I genuinely can’t imagine ever adding these effects in earnest. They remind me of the heavy-handed Hipstamatic filters people used to make low-res smartphone pictures look good in 2010.
And I love a good snap filter. They give you long eyelashes and make your skin look amazing! They make presidential debates morefun! But these new Snapchat AR effects, which include confetti that drops from the sky, a very energetic bird that follows you around, and big blobs that float in space, don’t feel as interactive or clever as those face-focused options (though perhaps that’s because I’m a selfie-obsessed millennial). A Snapchat representative said new effects will be delivered regularly.
Snapchat had professionals — actual video directors and photographers — shoot with the new glasses (videos embedded below). The AR effects looked so artistic and clean in those pro videos that I couldn’t believe we were using the same devices. When I added the filters, the animations often appeared shaky and pixelated, like in this slightly overexposed scene of Will hanging laundry.
The 3D pictures, however, are a different story. They’re very cool. In the Snapchat app, you can wiggle your phone back and forth to get a sense of the depth. The exported version of the photo is a video that moves the image on loop, like a GIF.
Snapchat’s pro examples obviously look way better than mine. Again, this is a device that’s seemingly ideal for influencers, professional creators, and the like.
Normals will find the new Spectacles’ 3D wizardry less compelling.
The Spectacles can only capture video in 10-second spurts, which is fitting for a social media browser's short attention span, but unsatisfying for those reliving intimate memories. Another downside is that the video quality is good, but not as good as my iPhone’s, especially when it comes to camera stabilization (or lack thereof). Unless you keep your head very, very still, Spectacles videos look shaky.
Yet another limitation is Spectacles’ nice weather–only form factor. I took the sunglasses out for a morning bike ride. A densefog layer had rolled in overnight (as is typically the case in San Francisco) and — while it was neat to capture parts of the ride I would never be able to with my phone — the dark, tinted lens made it difficult to see. I ended up stashing the Spectacles in my back pocket for most of the ride.
Snapchat’s headquarters are in Santa Monica, a sunny beachfront city about 15 miles from downtown Los Angeles. So it’s no surprise that the Spectacles are sunglasses and work best in bright, well-lit conditions. (As I write this, on a mid-November morning, it is 81 degrees and sunny in LA.)
I also hesitated to wear the Spectacles in public, aware that people might think that a discreet wearable camera could film them at any time and invade their privacy. In 2014, a woman was attacked for wearing Google Glass, which were lensless glasses with a camera onboard. A few months later, another Google Glass wearer had theirs smashed to the ground by a stranger.
But for private moments with close family members and friends, the Spectacles were delightful.
I was surprised at how personal the footage is. It’s all shot from a first-person perspective and, because the recordings are nearly identical to how you experienced and remembered them, they feel incredibly intimate.
Because the capture is hands-free, you can record many things you wouldn’t be able to with your phone: hiking, playing with kids, drawing, cooking, or virtually anything that requires working with your hands. Sure, you can strap a GoPro to your chest or forehead, but that requires a lot more gear and effort. With the Spectacles, you just put on the sunglasses and tap a button. I liked that you could capture moments without having to look at a screen.
Best of all: You don’t need the latest Spectacles to do that. The Spectacles 2 (much cheaper at $150) can do the same, plus they’re water-resistant, which the Spectacles 3 aren’t.
By this time of the year, smartphone launches usually fizzle out and the rumor cycle for next year’s flagships picks up pace. So naturally, we’ve started hearing things about the Samsung flagship for the first half of 2020. We’re now hearing much more than mere murmurs about the upcoming Galaxy S11 lineup of phones.
According to famous tipster and Venture Beat reporter, Evan Blass, the Samsung Galaxy S11 lineup will once again feature three phones, but with much larger display sizes. At this point, we’re presuming they will be called the Galaxy S11e, Galaxy S11 and Galaxy S11 Plus.
In a recent tweet, Blass revealed that the Galaxy S11 will come in 6.4-inch, 6.7-inch, and 6.9-inch display sizes. Although he writes that the smallest Galaxy S11 phone will feature a 6.4-inch display, he also says that his information is conflicting. What he knows for now is that the smallest Galaxy S11 could either have a 6.2-inch or a 6.4-inch display.
The tipster further reveals that the two smaller phones will both come with 5G and LTE variants. The largest 6.9-inch phone will only get a 5G version. This takes the total number of variants in the upcoming Galaxy S11 series to five.
As far as the launch of the so called Galaxy S11 series is concerned, Blass reports a predictable mid-to-late February timeline.
Galaxy S series: Bigger than ever
If Blass’ information is to be believed, Samsung seems to have significantly upped the display size of its S series phones compared to the S10 devices. Ranging from the S10e to the S10 Plus, the S10 lineup features 5.8-inch, 6.1-inch and 6.4-inch display variants. The Galaxy S10 5G had the largest 6.7-inch display in the series. Looks like Samsung will further close the gap between its S and Note lineup of flagships in 2020.
Blass also notes that all five variants in the Galaxy S11 series will have curved-edge displays, i.e., no more S10e-style flat panels.
Editor's Pick
The best Samsung Galaxy S10e cases
Getting a Samsung Galaxy S10e, or already have one? Like all of today’s phones, it’s a beautiful device but a glass body is also a bit more fragile than plastic. Even though it's the smallest …
We’re not really sure how Samsung wants to play out its device strategy in the coming year. A 6.9-inch Galaxy S11 Plus might as well be called a Note device. It’s even bigger than the 6.8-inch Galaxy Note 10 Plus!
To recall, Blass had previously reported a rumor that Samsung might be looking to merge its S and Note series under a new brand name called “Galaxy One”. It’s possible that’s what’s behind these increasing screen sizes.
What do you think Samsung should do? Do you think it’s time the company merges its S and Note lineup? Let us know in the comments section below.
RED has claimed victory in the latest battle over its patent on RAW video, this time against a mighty plaintiff: Apple. The dispute started earlier this year, when Apple set out to overturn RED's patent on RedCode RAW in a possible effort to avoid paying royalties on its ProRes RAW codec. A patent court ruled that Apple "has not shown a reasonable likelihood that it would prevail" with claims that RED's original 2007 patent was obvious and shouldn't have been issued in the first place.
RED President Jarred Land said that "we are pleased to see our RedCode patents withstand another challenge," adding that RED is still working with Apple to get RedCode on its Metal framework. "It has always been Apple + RED, and this was all part of the process defining how we work together in the future," he said.
To be clear, as I mentioned before, this never really was Apple vs. RED. It has always been APPLE + RED, and this was all part of the process defining how we work together in the future. RED integration with Apple's METAL framework for realtime R3D playback is coming along well and the work that the two teams are doing together is exceeding expectations. We are very excited for the new Mac Pro and the new XDR pro display and the power they bring to the entire RED workflow.
RED successfully fought back a similar suit from Sony in 2013, so the latest victory could further strengthen the patent. However, the court may have left the door open to another claim, saying Apple's challenge was "unclear and incomplete."
RedCode RAW is a video codec that allows you to capture RAW video in much the same way you can capture RAW photos. Apple claimed that RED's patent was strongly based on two other patents: One pertained to the capture of lossless RAW video at HD, 2K and 4K resolutions, while the other was for a processing technique that allowed for compression of RAW sensor data. Apple argued that since RED's patent was a combination of two prior patents, its own technology was "unpatentable."
RED fired back with in-depth responses stating that its work was unique from those patents, and that it had been working on the technology prior to the timeframe that Apple had claimed.
While RAW photography is popular and common on smartphones, RAW video has generally been limited to use by professional filmmakers and video shooters. That's mainly due to the technical limitations with RAW and not because of the patent. For instance, one minute of 4K RedCode video at 5:1 compression takes up 5.26 GB, while a minute of MP4 video at a typical 150 Mbps takes up 1.13GB. That kind of throughput generates significant heat, so RAW video isn't really practical for smartphones or small cameras.
As such, this won't have much of an impact on consumer devices, but it could affect Apple's ProRes RAW development. As it stands now, companies that make external RAW recorders like Atomos have acquired ProRes RAW licenses from RED, and will likely need to continue to do so. Blackmagic Design, meanwhile, created its own RAW format that doesn't infringe RED's patents.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Realme keeps on increasing its share of the Indian smartphone market, growing shipments more than 400 percent year-on-year to grab 14.3 percent in the third quarter of 2019, according to figures from IDC. That’s a huge increase on the 3.1 percent recorded a year ago when the brand had only just launched, initially as a spin-off from Oppo. IDC cites “heavy shipments” of the C2 phone as well as the new 5 series.
Oppo itself is now one place behind Realme in Indian market share, but it also grew significantly to capture 11.8 percent. Vivo is in third place after growing to 15.2 percent, while Xiaomi’s leading share shrunk slightly to 27.1 percent. If you were to count Vivo, Realme, and Oppo as one company, due to their shared ownership by shadowy private conglomerate BBK Electronics, it would be the number one vendor in India.
The main loser in all of this is second-placed Samsung, which saw shipments decline 8.5 percent year on year and its market share slip from 22.6 percent to 18.9 percent. IDC notes, however, that the numbers suffered from a lagging release schedule, and indeed the company’s market share had hit 25 percent the previous quarter.
What may worry Samsung, though, is that the Indian market appears to be consolidating, with only 12 percent accounted for by “others,” which is down from nearly 30 percent a year ago. With Xiaomi holding steady at the top, the growth is all coming from competitive companies — or one umbrella company, depending on your perspective — right below Samsung.
The Realme brand in particular has been an explosive force in the market, and while its e-commerce playbook was lifted directly from Xiaomi, its rival continues to do well. IDC says Xiaomi posted 12.6 million units, its highest ever shipments in a quarter, led by the Redmi 7A and Redmi Note 7 Pro. If you only take online sales into account, Xiaomi has 40 percent of the market and four out of the top five models. In the fast-growing $300-500 device segment, meanwhile, the impressive Redmi K20 and K20 Pro have been big hits.
Apple's new Mac Pro, still listed on Apple's website as "coming this fall," has been spotted in the wild this weekend at the studio of DJ and producer Calvin Harris.
New Mac Pro spotted in Calvin Harris Instagram video
On Saturday, Harris posted an Instagram story featuring some of his music and offering his followers a peek into his production studio, in which a Mac Pro with signature cheese grater case and carry handles can be seen sat on the floor next to a desk.
The sighting suggests Apple has shared the new high-throughput machine with creative professionals to give them a feel for its power and potential ahead of its public release, which could be any day now.
The all-new Mac Pro boasts up to 28-core Intel Xeon processors, up to 1.5TB of ECC RAM, up to 4TB of SSD storage, and up to AMD Radeon Pro Vega II Duo graphics with 64GB of HBM2 memory. The computer also has eight PCIe expansion slots for maximum performance, expansion, and configurability.
A new design includes a stainless steel frame with smooth handles and an aluminum housing that lifts off for 360-degree access to the entire system. The housing also has a unique lattice pattern to maximize airflow and quiet operation.
Apple announced the Mac Pro on June 3, and the company has been teasing a fall release on its website ever since, without specifying a launch date. The machine received FCC approval on October 30, suggesting pre-order availability is not far away.
The Mac Pro starts at $5,999, so this machine is only for the most serious professional users. They could also twin it with the $6,000 Pro Display XDR, which is expected to be released at the same time.
As part of CNET's Decade in Review
here are our picks for the impactful apps of the 2010s. I crowdsourced this list from every CNET editor and then curated it further from there. The result is the list below in no particular order.
Note that in the case of very similar apps, I combined the most popular ones in that category, instead of having individual entries. And, sure, there are hundreds of impactful and important apps not on this list. If you feel we didn't include one of your favorite apps, put it in the comments and I'll be sure to chime in as well.
Instagram
What is it? Instagram allows you to share photos and videos. Why it's on the list: Instagram has changed the way we think about photos and, for many of us, altered our eating habits (for a time I couldn't start eating my dinner until I captured its image perfectly). It's also become an incredibly effective marketing tool over the years and continues to grow, as it has now reached 1 billion users per month. I think the reason it's still popular is because it continues to evolve in meaningful ways. Adding things like Stories and Boomerang over the last few years has kept it feeling fresh and adopting these features is a great way to continue to expand its user base. While celebrity influencers continue to make us believe they're actual living impossibly extravagant lives in order to sell us products. and many people still behave completely irresponsibly in order to capture that "perfect pic," Instagram is still one of the most simple and entertaining social platforms out there.
Getty Images
Twitter
What is it? A social media platform for posting text, pictures and videos. Why it's on the list: Thirteen years after its debut, no one would argue that Twitter has completely changed the way the world communicates. From the Arab Spring where protesters used Twitter to not only coordinate, but also voice their message to the world, to world leaders like President Donald Trump, who can now immediately send a message to every connected person on the planet, it's clear that communication will never be the same. Though Twitter hasn't proven successful at clamping down on hate speech, it's still one of the best and most informative social networks.
The Facebook app on an iPhone.
Fabian Sommer/dpa/Getty Images
Facebook
What is it? A social media and networking platform Why it's on the list: Like Twitter, Facebook's debut predated the decade, but it's become the premiere social media platform in the world, with nearly 2.5 billion active users. It let you reconnect with old friends and family members across the world, and you were inundated with memes, cat videos, requests for Farmville and news, both real and not so much. After the short boom of MySpace, Facebook popularized social media with the mainstream. However, amid its user privacy scandals and influx of fake news, the platform has fallen under harsh scrutiny since the 2016 election.
Tinder/Grindr/Bumble
What are they? Dating apps, popularized by their simple filtering mechanic. Why they're on the list: Never before has the act of finding someone, no matter your needs and wants, been as easy (in the case of Tinder and Bumble, swipe right on a potential mate's pic if you're interested. If not, swipe left.) People use the apps for everything from quick hookups to casual dating to looking for long-term relationships. Grindr, a dating app geared towards the LGBTQ community, was the first to debut, but Tinder profoundly changed the dating scene. Suddenly you could filter your choices almost instantly to get exactly what you were looking for. LOL! If only human beings were such simple creatures! BWAHAHAHAA!!
Google Maps/Apple Maps
What are they? The two most popular map/directions apps in the world. Why they're on the list: I honestly don't travel without using one of these. I have a horrible sense of direction, I didn't start driving until I was in my 30s, and I still don't know most streets by name. Seriously, I'm terrible and need these. But I digress. These apps took Mapquest to its logical evolutionary conclusion. Now you can travel anywhere in the world without ever needing to know exactly where a place is. Just follow the directions like you're playing GTA or something and even see what your destination looks like from the outside. Although I personally prefer Google Maps, Apple Maps has vastly improved since its disastrous launch a few years back.
The latest update to Google Maps brings the number of options for reporting traffic slowdowns to seven.
Screenshot by Dale Smith/CNET
Spotify
What is it? A music streaming service Why it's on the list: I remember when Spotify debuted in 2011. It seemed to come out of nowhere and further changed (you'll see this word a lot on this list if you haven't already) the ever-evolving music industry. It felt a lot like the original version of Napster, only legal, but still free. Too free for some, as some artists like Taylor Swift have in the past pulled all of their music from the service. Swift eventually returned to the streaming giant.
At its launch, Spotify enjoyed a huge 50 million-song library that dwarfed those of its competitors at the time. Spotify eventually led Apple to create its own music service called Apple Music in 2015, which now also has access to over 50 million songs.
Slack
What is it? An instant messaging platform Why it's on the list: What makes Slack any different from a billion other IM clients in the last 25 years? It's mostly its integration with other apps and the way it can start to feel like the nucleus for everything happening at your work. These days it's a toss-up over which I open first in the morning: Slack or email. Slack is like email, part 2.
But, it's not just useful for work. As family life gets busier, families are using Slack to communicate, which is weird but also weirdly appealing as my own family starts to grow. But like every tool, it comes down to how you use it -- the debate over whether Slack improves or impairs productivity continues.
Could Uber reach super-app status?
Denis Charlet/AFP via Getty Images
Uber/Lyft
What are they? Order a rideshare on your phone to your exact location and pay automatically through your credit card. Why they're on the list: I remember four years ago when my 16-year old nice visited me in San Francisco from Minneapolis. She'd never heard of Uber, and the whole thing kind of creeped her out. Now, I don't think she can imagine traveling any other way. Of course, the convenience has not come without cost. Both Uber and Lyft great have faced lawsuits over alleged sexual assaults by drivers, cities around the world have attempted to regulate them, and drivers have battled for better pay. And while all those additional cars on the street can choke traffic in cities, there's no denying the effect these apps have had on the way we travel.
Venmo
What is it? Allows you to make digital payments to other individuals. Why it's on the list: As a person that rarely carries cash, I could never easily pay my share when out to dinner with a group of friends. That why Venmo and other apps like it have been a godsend -- with them I don't constantly feel like a deadbeat. You can pay for stuff for friends like movie tickets, and now they have zero excuse not to pay you right back, even before the movie starts! We're deadbeats no more!
Angry Birds in AR -- it's coming to iOS.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Angry Birds
What is it? A game where you launch birds at structures in an attempt to kill pigs Why it's on the list: In its early days, Angry Birds was so popular, I convinced myself I had to like it. Ultimately, when I played it I didn't, but its impact on the expectations of how popular mobile game could be is unprecedented. Two movies and plenty of versions of the game later, Angry Birds is still a very popular franchise and has continued to evolve with the times, most recently with Angry Birds AR. Again, not my cup of tea, but many still enjoy taking a sip.
Candy Crush Saga
What is it? A match-three puzzle game. Why it's on the list: I knew this was something special when my wife, who isn't a gamer, not only couldn't put it down, but also spent money playing it. It took her six years to finally move on to Two Dots. I've never played Candy Crush Saga and probably won't -- the visuals are just a bit too saccharine for me -- but it's one of the most popular tile-matching games of all time. You can pick it up quickly, it has a satisfying gameplay mechanic, and it's something you could do while listening to books (to paraphrase my wife). Despite her falling off, the game's overall popularity has shown no signs of waning.
Niantic
Pokemon Go
What is it? The first big AR game based in the Pokemon universe Why it's on the list: It was a phenom when it was released in 2016. I tried playing from my house, but there was nothing to find in my little suburban neighborhood, so I quickly gave up as I was too self-conscious to play in the city. The game eventually lost most of its player base, but is still incredibly popular, having crossed 1 billion downloads earlier this year. Its formula for success was simple: Combine an already successful franchise with a new technology with heavy social ties. It's worked quite well.
Vine
What is it? Video platform that let you make videos up to six seconds long and share them. Why it's on the list: After an exciting start in 2012, Vine was discontinued by its owner, Twitter, in 2016 amid growing competition, especially from Instagram. But during its life, Vine quickly popularized the short-form video app. It gave you the ability to make six-second videos and immediately post them, which (at the time) was one of the coolest things I'd ever seen in an app. I dove right in, experimenting with some weird techniques, picking up others and attempting to develop storytelling skills. Like with most things, I was done and ready to move on after a couple of months, but Vine continued to be a hit, leading to the birth of its evolutionary cousin, TikTok.
Flappy Bird
What is it? A super-difficult mobile game that no longer exists in its original form. Why it's on the list: Remember when this game was the most-downloaded app on the app store? It held that place for about a month in 2014 before its developer suddenly took it down. He said it was so addictive that he was losing sleep over getting so many people hooked. It was crazy-hard and something I could stomach for no more than a couple minutes. And its notoriety continued, even after its removal -- people were attempting (unsuccessfully) to sell phones that still had the game on Ebay for up to $100,000.
Facebook Messenger/WhatsApp
What are they? Two hugely popular chat platforms Why they're on the list: They're both Facebook products and essentially do the same thing, however differently. Facebook stripped Messenger from the Facebook app in 2011 and made it its own thing. It's incredibly popular and the preferred way to communicate for a lot of people, especially if you're on Facebook but don't have someone's number or you want to forgo texting.
WhatsApp is the lighter version that uses less data and encrypts its messages end-to-end (user to user), which is more secure than Messenger's solution of sending messages to a server before it gets sent to the recipient. It's also incredibly popular, especially in Asian countries.
Netflix
Netflix
What is it: A video-streaming app, focused on original content. Why it's on the list: Netflix is the premier video-streaming app. With it, you get access to Netflix's ever-growing number of original movies and series, like Stranger Things and Narcos.The iOS and Android apps allow you to download most shows or movies to your phone. Despite heavy and growing competition, Netflix is still the streaming app every other one is measured by. At least for now.
Snapchat
What is it? A social media and messaging app where videos and messages disappear after a time. Why it's on this list: Snapchat launched in 2011, but its popularity hit the stratosphere between 2013 and 2015, after adding video sharing, Snapchat Stories, ephemeral text messaging and (most importantly) the rainbow vomit feature. It allowed people to post short videos that would expire and be "gone forever" after a set time. I have to admit, as a chronically old fuddy-duddy I never saw the appeal of making videos or writing texts that disappear after awhile, but that's just me. I guess I'm a hoarder at heart and I want everything I make to be available for access forever.
YouTube
What is it? A video app that allows anyone to post videos and watch them. Why it's on this list: YouTube has changed the way we consume media, from posting viral videos to slickly produced original clips by 'YouTubers." There's no longer an excuse to not be a filmmaker if you've ever dreamed of being one (talking to you, self!).
I use it all the time, and with YouTube's monthly subscription service that removes ads and allows me to play videos in the background, I can listen to YouTube audio in the background. For that reason alone it deserves to be included here, and I'm surprised more video apps have not added this feature. In the last few years, however, as the number of videos with disinformation and racism have increased, the platform has come under criticism. Still, the number of its users has grown to well over 1 billion and is showing no signs of slowing down.
Google Pay/Apple Pay
What are they? Mobile payment apps that let you pay at retail or online using only your phone, tablet or smartwatch. Why they're on this list: Being able to pay for things with your phone seemed like such a novel concept a few years back, but now it's my preferred way to pay and usually works seamlessly. It seems like such a small thing, but I'm always looking for that Apple Pay logo. It's just an extra level of convenience that I really appreciate.
Angela Lang/CNET
Google Assistant/Siri/Alexa
What are they? The top voice assistants on the market. Why they're on this list: Siri was the first big voice assistant when it debuted in 2011, but other options that followed have outpaced it. (Google Assistant, in particular, is smarter and more intuitive.) I use an Apple HomePod with Siri and am constantly disappointed by the fact that Siri isn't smarter. I'm hoping that changes soon. Having to say "Hey, Siri" for every command just gets old fast.
It's important to remember that, as exciting as this technology continues to be, the simple fact is that your voice assistants are recording you and as a result, Google, Apple and Amazon (with Alexa) have now either put a halt to having humans listen to you in the "privacy" of your own home or allow you to opt out of this recording. It's still disconcerting though.
Amazon
What is it? The app for the world's largest online retailer. Why it's on this list: If you raised a young child without the help of the Amazon app, you're a god in my book. I've used Amazon since I bought my first DVD some time in 2000. The Matrix or maybe X-Men? Possibly Ninja Scroll? I'm not sure, but I've not stopped shopping since, and I likely won't anytime soon. Now, with an app it's even easier and faster -- so fast that I don't even need to add a task to my to-do list. When I'm juggling an uncooperative toddler with a 1-year old who's doing his best to jump head-first off a couch, the ability to take 15 seconds from catching diving kids to order them new vitamins is huge -- it makes my life that much easier.
Skype/Facetime/Zoom
What are they? Real-time video-based phones calls Why they're on this list: This is that sci-fi video-phone future that's even better than what any sci-fi film could have predicted, obviously because none of them predicted the rise of the smartphone. I don't use it a lot, but the times when I do are special, like if I'm away from my kids and want to see their faces. It's not like you see on The Jetsons, but the fact that I can see my sons when I'm away on business, or even a co-worker a thousand miles away, is amazing.
FaceTime's new trick makes it look like you're staring into the camera.
Jason Cipriani/CNET
Fortnite
What is it? The game that took over your kid's/nephew's/cousin's life Why it's on this list: Fortnite has had the type of cultural impact few games, if any, ever achieve. From the whole Fortnite dance debacle to the fact that the winner of the 2019 Fortnite World Cup was awarded $3 million, Fortnite is a huge, unstoppable pop culture juggernaut that shows no sign of slowing down.
As long as the developers keep the game fresh by doing things like ending it, its popularity should continue for some time.
Uber Eats/Postmates/Grubhub/DoorDash
What are they? Order food for delivery, even if the restaurant in question does not itself deliver. Why they're on the list: I remember the frustration of wanting food from one of my favorite restaurants and seeing its "No deliveries" sign. That now feels like a thing of the distant past. Sure, eating out all the time isn't cheap or always healthy, but I like to have the option. If I want a barbecue lunch, but I don't have 20 minutes to go get it, it's comforting to know there are people out there who don't mind doing it for me... for a price.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Google Photos
What is it? A photo storage app for both Android and iOS. Why it's on the list: I imagine your big question is, why did Google Photos make the list and not the Photos app and iCloud on iOS? Well, as good as the Photos app is on iOS -- and it has definitely improved lately -- the app isn't compatible with Android. Google Photos, though, works on Android and iOS. It also has more cloud storage than iCloud, and its search feature is more robust and useful. You can search for a word that appears in a picture or even by pronouns -- just in case you want to find your friend's baby's pictures, but can't remember when you took them.
Apple still won't say when the new Mac Pro will ship besides "this fall," but one of its early adopters might have hinted that it's getting close. DJ Calvin Harris has posted multiple Instagram Stories showing that he already has Apple's workstation as part of his music production setup. He didn't talk about it, to no one's surprise, but this suggests Apple is comfortable enough with the state of the Mac Pro to seed it to big-name creators.
The sighting came just days after Apple held a Final Cut Pro X summit where it teased "surprises from the Apple product team." It's not clear if that involved Mac Pro demos or news, but the timing is hard to ignore. The Mac Pro recently received FCC approval, so there's not much holding it back.
It wouldn't be shocking for Apple to do something like this. The new Mac Pro and matching Pro Display XDR are effectively Apple's mea culpa to the creative world. They're an acknowledgment that the 2013 Mac Pro and other decisions alienated professionals who thrive on desktops with ample expansion and easy-to-swap parts. If Apple is going to win those people back, it needs to show that the Mac Pro is viable in real-world situations -- including dance music studios.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19365348/prAP45640019_F_1.png)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19365349/prAP45640019_F_2.jpg)
