Category: PCMag

‘Not Sustainable.’ Starlink Users Compare Dynamic Pricing to Being Held Hostage

image via PCMAG
image via PCMAG

Starlink’s test of dynamic pricing, which will enable the satellite internet service to raise and lower prices based on demand, has drawn comparisons to Uber. But to Loran Hatfield, the new policy is simply a “dogshit idea" that leaves users at the mercy of SpaceX. “Dynamic pricing does sound better than calling it hostage negotiations,” he told PCMag. Hatfield, a truck driver, is among the Starlink subscribers who will now have to pay up to 20% more after SpaceX introduced dynamic pricing for its Residential plans, a change that has been appearing mainly in Missouri and Kansas in the US market.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/not-sustainable-starlink-users-compare-dynamic-pricing-to-being-held-hostage

Instagram Prepares to Take on YouTube With 90-Minute Horizontal Videos

image via PCMag
image via PCMag

This is Instagram’s second major attempt at long-form videos after IGTV, which launched in 2018 but was phased out in 2022 after failing to gain traction. The latest attempt, called Features, is designed to help users discover and watch long-form videos, including comedy specials and podcasts, directly on the platform. “We’re also seeing so many creators producing longer videos, and they’re using clips of those videos to drive discovery on Reels and help build their audience,” Instagram’s VP of product, Tessa Lyons, said in an announcement video alongside company head Adam Mosseri.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/instagram-prepares-to-take-on-youtube-with-90-minute-horizontal-videos

Web Browser Arc Is Shutting Down Later This Year, Asks You to Switch to Dia

image via PCMag
image via PCMag

Alternative web browser Arc is reaching the end of its life, and you’ve got a little under two months to make the most of it. The developers plan to shut down the browser on Dec. 22, 2026, around 3.5 years after launch. “Our priority is to deliver best-in-class security for our members," Miller says. "Keeping a browser secure takes constant, dedicated work that is only increasing in the age of AI. Dia, our new browser, was built from the ground up to meet today’s security standards, so that’s where our engineering and security teams will focus moving forward.”

https://www.pcmag.com/news/web-browser-arc-is-shutting-down-later-this-year-asks-you-to-switch-to

Meta Admits Its Smart Glasses Briefly Recorded Audio Without a Wake Phrase

image via PCMag
image via PCMag

Security concerns surrounding Meta’s smart glasses just keep piling up. After complaints about nonconsensual video recording, the glasses have now been found to record user audio without consent. “This issue has been resolved. People can manage, review and delete voice logs of their interactions with Meta AI via settings at any time,” a Meta spokesperson said.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/meta-admits-its-smart-glasses-briefly-recorded-audio-without-a-wake-phrase

Mark Zuckerberg Wants to Sell You a Tamagotchi? Meet Meta’s Muse Charm

image via PCMag
image via PCMag

Meta is developing a handheld device dedicated to letting users access a Muse AI agent. The Charm highlights how Meta is framing Muse as an AI agent that can be easily personalized as a virtual assistant that’s unique to each user. For example, when you start using Muse, Meta encourages you to give it a unique name. Muse also appears as a friendly, furry creature, though you can change its appearance to your liking. That's a big contrast from ChatGPT or Google's Gemini, which converse as faceless chatbots.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/mark-zuckerberg-wants-to-sell-you-a-tamagotchi-meet-metas-muse-charm

$2,195 for Smart Glasses? Snap’s New Specs Are an Engineering Marvel…With Two Massive Flaws

image via PCMag
image via PCMag

Snap officially launched its new Specs, lifting the curtain on a surprisingly robust feature set and a high-profile lineup of launch partners. With self-contained processing powering motion tracking, environment scanning, and gesture controls, these might be the most technically ambitious smart glasses on the market—easily outpacing the $799 Meta Ray-Ban Display in pure hardware sophistication. But at $2,195, Snap faces monumental hurdles before its bleeding-edge tech can win over everyday buyers. I’ll give the Specs a rigorous hands-on test once a pair lands in PC Labs. For now, here's a close look at how they work, what they can do, and where they fit in an increasingly chaotic wearable ecosystem.

https://www.pcmag.com/opinions/2195-for-smart-glasses-snaps-new-specs-are-an-engineering-marvelwith-two

Worried About Snooping Smart Glasses? This Startup’s Tech Detects Nearby Specs

image c/o pcmag.com
image c/o pcmag.com

Bastille Networks, a startup specializing in wireless intrusion detection, announced Thursday what it called “first-of-its-kind software” to spot smart glasses at customer sites. The San Diego-based firm pitches this new solution, available to companies that already subscribe to its monitoring services, as going well beyond indie apps like Nearby Glasses and the cleverly named Zuckoff that scan for Bluetooth Low Energy signals from smart glasses

https://www.pcmag.com/news/worried-about-snooping-smart-glasses-this-startups-tech-detects-nearby