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The Weekly Authority: đ Pixel 7a peek
⥠Welcome to The Weekly Authority, the Android Authority newsletter that breaks down the top Android and tech news from the week. The 223rd edition here, with a first peek at the Pixel 7a, why you shouldnât go for a stroll in NYC with $95,000 in iPhones, free Steam Decks, and moreâŠ
đź I may have bought a Nintendo Switch in the Black Friday sales, and have spent more time adding games to my wishlist than actually playing it so far! Seeing all the cozy games aimed at younger gamers left me wondering just how safe our kids are online, which brings us nicely to our sponsor for this week:
Thanks to Wondershare for sponsoring todayâs newsletter!
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Popular news this week
Google:
- New leak gives us our first glimpse at the Pixel 7a; could take some design cues from the Pixel 7.
- Free Google One VPN is finally here for Pixel 7 series owners.
- Google Maps and Keep are no longer available on Wear OS 2 watches.
- And Google announces new Android features just in time for the holidays, including a new reading mode and Wear OS features.
- Also: Googleâs Pixel Recorder app just got even better with speaker labels.
Samsung:
- The Galaxy Z Flip 5 could have two major design changes, most notably a larger external display.
- Samsung executive reveals when the Galaxy S23 could be unveiled.
- And all three Samsung Galaxy S23 phones have hit the FCC, revealing some details.
OnePlus:
- Leaked OnePlus Nord CE 3 renders show a sleek phone.
- OnePlus now matches Samsungâs Android update pledge, but thereâs a catch: No word on specific models just yet.
Xiaomi:
- Xiaomi delayed the release of the Xiaomi 13 on Thursday, but a leaked changelog has revealed what MIUI 14 has in store.
Apple:
- Umm: Man discovers why walking in NYC with $95,000 in iPhones is a bad idea.
- Apple announces 2022 App Store award winners:Â BeReal took the App of the Year spot.
- Ever wondered what an iPhone with a Galaxy-style curved screen would look like? Have a look at this modded monstrosity.
- And iPhone Pro wait times hit new peak after factory disruptions â expect to wait as long as 37 days.
- Appleâs upcoming mixed-reality headset will run on âxrOSâ platform: The âxRâ apparently stands for âextended reality.â
- Also: Man used iPhone 14 satellite alerts to get rescued in Alaska.
Social media:
- Elon Musk threatens to build an alternative to Android and iPhone, but hereâs why we doubt itâll happen.
- Musk is delaying Twitterâs paid verification to avoid Appleâs 30% cut.
- And, Twitter claims ânone of our policies have changedâ as advertisers continue to flee.
- Meanwhile, Elon Musk suspends Kanye Westâs account for breaking Twitter rules.
- A 12,000 lb. metal sculpture of Elon Muskâs head on a goat body riding a rocket parked outside Tesla HQ failed to elicit a response from the billionaire.
Space:
- NASAâs Orion capsule is now successfully orbiting the moon, marking the halfway mark of the Artemis 1 mission.
- Austin firm ICON wins NASA contract for lunar construction: Engineers will examine lunar regolith â dust and broken rocks â to determine their mechanical behavior in simulated lunar gravity.
- The hibernatorâs guide to the galaxy: âScientists are on the verge of figuring out how to put humans in a state of suspended animation. It could be the key to colonizing Mars.â
Elsewhere:Â
- Customers spent a record $9.1 billion online over Black Friday weekend.
- A Galaxy Z Flip 4-style foldable may be days away and it just leaked on video.
- Gorilla Glass Victus 2 launched, focusing on concrete drops: Weâll likely see this on several phones in 2023.
- Epicâs free app that turns real-life items into 3D models is available now on iOS.
- This upcoming smartwatch lets you store your earbuds inside it, and you can check out a hands-on video of it right now â though its launch date has been delayed, with no new date announced yet.
- New app trying to bring iMessage to Android may have found secret formula.
- You can finally have the same WhatsApp account on two phones; follow this guide. This is possible thanks to WhatsApp now supporting your account on tablets.
- Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce has tested a hydrogen-powered jet engine, a technology that could change the aviation industry in the future.
- Tesla recalled ~80k vehicles in China due to software and seat belt issues.
- Lastpass says hackers accessed customer data in new breach: Thatâs the second breach this year, though the company says passwords werenât compromised.
- FCC bans telecom and video surveillance gear from HUAWEI, ZTE, and other Chinese companies.
- And Eufy cameras have been uploading unencrypted footage to the cloud without owners knowing.
- Elon Musk claims Neurlalink is about âsix monthsâ away from first human trial following a show and tell on Wednesday.
- Prescription poop is here: FDA approves fecal slurry for unshakeable diarrhea.
- Finally: UN adds French baguette to world heritage list, alongside kimchi and Arabic coffee.
Movies/TV:
- These were the top YouTube videos of 2022 â from Technobladeâs touching farewell to Will Smithâs infamous slap, and more.
- Speaking of, there are so many YouTube TV channels on the platform that it can be bewildering. Weâve listed them all here for you.
- From WandaVision to CHiPs, Rolling Stone has an excellent roundup of the best TV theme songs of all time.
- Itâs coming â The Mandalorian Season 3: Release date, story, and everything else we know.
- Disneyâs latest animated feature, Strange World, pulled in $11.9m this weekend, the companyâs worst box office debut since The Emperorâs New Groove in 2000.
- And Disneyâs new AI can make your favorite actor look older or younger.
- Nintendo released a new trailer for its upcoming Super Marios Bros. movie with Anya Taylor-Joy and Seth Rogan making appearances as Princess Peach and Donkey Kong.
- Dive into our pick of the best streaming movies this week, including must-see Norwegian Netflix original Troll and romantic comedy Bros.
- Loved Netflixâs creepy, kooky show? Hereâs everything we know so far about Wednesday Season 2 on Netflix.
- Finally: If a Santa slasher sounds like your idea of a good time, check out Mashableâs Violent Night review.
Gaming:Â
- Google begins refunding Stadia hardware purchases made on the Google Store: If you bought from Best Buy or another retailer, youâre out of luck.
- Amazon Luna is losing nearly 50 games before the end of the year.
- God of War Ragnarök became the fastest-selling first-party launch game in PlayStation history, with 5.1 million copies sold in launch week.
- And Ubisoft sets up next Assassinâs Creed with free DLC mission in Valhalla: You can download the Shared History quest to meet Rohan from the upcoming Mirage.
- âHalf-Life: Alyxâ mod adds four hours of single-player content.
- Gran Turismo 7 is getting a one-0f-a-kind hybrid Ferrari next month as part of the gameâs Vision concept series.
- Nintendo shuts down Smash World Tour, organizers âlosing hundreds of thousands of dollars.â
- Overwatch 2âs season two trailer teases a new game mode and the latest map, going live December 6.
- And Chinese childrenâs addiction to gaming âresolved,â says industry body.
- Finally: Want a Steam Deck? Valveâs giving away a ton of them during The Game Awards on December 8.
Reviews
- I used Apple Fitness Plus for 7 Days: Hereâs my honest review â âApple Fitness Plus is a solid investment for access to fresh content and a variety of exercises, but itâs particularly valuable for those new to working out.â
- Alienware AW3423DWF QD-OLED gaming monitor review â âA minor update to an already great gaming monitorâ (Tomâs Guide).
- Amazon Kindle Scribe review â âThe Kindle just got weird, and I love itâ (Digital Trends).
- LG Ergo Dual 27QP88D review â âThe LG Ergo Dual 27QP88D delivers unmatched dual-screen versatility at a good price, and itâs got the quality for everyday work, but itâs tricky to use and wonât sate creative professionalsâ (Trusted Reviews).
FeaturesÂ
- Spotify Wrapped 2022 is live: Hereâs everything you need to know â What does your Spotify Wrapped say about you? And if you got âgoblincore,â youâre not aloneâŠ(Android Authority, Mashable).
- What is Hive Social and can it become a serious Twitter challenger? â âItâs an Elon Musk-free zone!â (Android Authority).
- San Franciscoâs killer robots threaten the cityâs most vulnerable â âLaw enforcement says that in some scenarios a lethal robot is the only way to protect public safety. Experts say the policy will harm communities of colorâ (Wired).
- GIPHYâs Top GIFs and clips of 2022 â did your favorite make the list? (giphy.medium.com).
- The great purpling: Streetlights in a bunch of cities are turning purple. Is it just a fluke, or a warning of the chaos to come? (Insider).
Weekly Wonder
This weekâs wonder comes courtesy of our friends over at The Hustle. Have you heard of Dabloons? Youâre probably thinking of âDoubloons,â the Spanish gold coins that pop up in old pirate films now and then. But Dabloons are something different entirely â a user-generated TikTok game surrounding a fake currency.
- Cast your mind back to 2021 (we know, it feels like forever ago) when an image of a kittenâs paw with the caption â4 dabloonsâ went viral on Instagram, followed by a picture of a black cat and its paw.
- Before you could say âMeow,â the meme was everywhere, including Tumblr and Reddit, before finally spreading to TikTok. When it hit the latter, users decided they would âearnâ Dabloons whenever the cat appeared.
- Ok, so Dabloons have no real-world value, but that doesnât mean you canât keep track of your earnings, which is exactly what some players started doing.
- According to The Hustle, âThe âDabloon catâ itself evolved into a fantasy RPG merchant, selling weary travelers âstewâ in exchange for Dabloons, while others began roleplaying characters such as Dabloon thieves, shopkeepers selling potions to protect against Dabloon theft, Dabloon cops, and Dabloon lawyers.â
- Brands got on board too, including Ikea and Toys R Us.
- Sad news though: with some accounts giving away large numbers of Dabloons, Dabloon inflation hit hard.
Umm, why?
- Itâs all a bit of fun really, and it could be that millennials and Gen Z using TikTok enjoy being part of an economy where inflation, the prospect of a recession, student loans, and other financial worries are non-existent.
- Itâs sort of fun to see people enjoying social media, for once.
- But if youâd rather invest in real cryptocurrency, check out our guide for everything you need to know.
- Youâll probably also want to eye up our glossary of crypto terms to help you decode the jargon, and while youâre here, take a peek at our comprehensive guide to cryptocurrency wallets.Â
Tech Calendar
- December 3-4: Indie Live Expo
- December 6: New DLC for Back 4 Blood (PC, PlayStation, Xbox) and Far Cry 6 (PC, PlayStation, Xbox) released.
- December 8: The Game AwardsÂ
- January 5-8, 2023: CES 2023 (Las Vegas)
- February (date TBC): Samsung Unpacked (Galaxy S23?)
Tech Tweet of the Week
When you see itâŠđ
Volkswagen Italy, please never change your Instagram handle. pic.twitter.com/BD2efn63zaâ Mick (@mikjcal) November 28, 2022
Something extra: It happened last week, but aww. Check out Winston, the winner of the 2022 National Dog Show!