Google has introduced another streaming dongle. The Chromecast with Google TV (HD) device manages to offer many of the features of the $50 4K model at a significantly cheaper price of $30. Unlike the old $35 Chromecast, it comes with a remote that eliminates the need for a smartphone, though you can still control it with your phone. There is a downside, that lower 1080p resolution, but there is HDR support. It also comes with six months of Peacock Premium, free.
The lack of a remote was a frustration for many people looking for a plug-and-stream device, and at this price it’s a pretty tempting streaming solution if you haven’t already bought a Chromecast, Roku or something else.
–Mat Smith
The most important stories you might have missed
Big upgrades, all inside.
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Yes, they still have stems. Yes, there is still active noise cancellation. Yes, it might be worth upgrading from the original AirPods Pro. Apple has included some of the comforts of the 2019 model, along with additions like Adaptive Transparency, Custom Spatial Audio, and a new touch gesture. There’s room to further refine the familiar formula, so read on for the full review.
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If you love vinyl and streaming music, Stream Carbon might be for you.
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Many connected smart speakers don’t work with turntables, which can complicate things during vinyl’s continued resurgence. Victrola, which has been making turntables for over 100 years, is primarily known for its entry-level turntables with built-in speakers, but now it’s introducing the Stream Carbon, a $799 turntable that can connect directly to a Sonos system, meaning you’ll be able to Broadcast your records throughout your home. Victrola says this is just the first of more planned devices in the Stream line.
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TikTok says interest spiked only after the FDA warning.
You’ve probably heard something about “NyQuil Chicken,” a supposedly viral TikTok “challenge” of cooking chicken in a cold medicine marinade. Not just disgusting, as the FDA recently reminded the public, it’s as toxic as it sounds. The agency’s oddly timed warning may have backfired, making the meme more popular than ever. TikTok confirmed that on September 14, the day before the FDA advisory, there were only five searches for “NyQuil chicken” on the app. But by September 21, that number had ballooned “more than 1,400 times,” according to BuzzFeed News.
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Focuses on unwanted DMs.
An early screenshot tweeted by researcher Alessandro Paluzzi indicates that Instagram is working on “nudity protection” technology that “covers photos that may contain nudity in chat,” giving users the option to view them or not. Instagram parent Meta confirmed that the edge which is in development. Meta said the goal is to help protect people from nude images or other unsolicited messages. As an added protection, the company said you can’t view the images or share them with third parties.
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Many users’ accounts received “spoof attacks” last year due to Meta policies.
Meta has published the findings of an external report that examined how its content moderation policies affected Israelis and Palestinians amid an escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip last May. The report says that Facebook’s approach appears “to have had an adverse impact on the human rights of Palestinian users to freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, political participation and non-discrimination, and thus on the ability of Palestinians to to share information and ideas about their experiences as they happened.”
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