Victoria Song, Author at Gizmodo

Wear OS Just Got a Second Chance—It Better Not Blow It

After years of neglect and incremental updates, yesterday Google dropped its most meaningful wearables announcement since it rebranded from Android Wear to Wear OS in 2018. Going forward, Wear OS will take the best parts of Samsung’s Tizen OS and Google-owned Fitbit to create a new unified platform for wearables. It’s a massive shift with…

Tech News Victoria Song

Samsung and Google Will Work Together to Make Android Smartwatches Good

Well, folks, the rumors that Samsung is abandoning Tizen for Google’s Wear OS smartwatch platform turned out to be true. Sort of. At the Google I/O keynote today, Google revealed it’s partnering with Samsung to create a new unified platform that mashes together Wear OS and Tizen OS. This new OS isn’t the same thing…

Tech News Victoria Song

Apple Is Reportedly Going to Replace the M1 With a Crapload of New Chips

Now that Apple’s begun rolling out its M1 product lineup, it’s now reportedly gearing up for the next wave of computers powered by the chip’s multiple successors. And readers, we’re talking about a lot of computers and chips here. According to Bloomberg, Apple is readying new MacBook Pros, a low-end MacBook Air, a larger iMac,…

Tech News Victoria Song

Apple’s TV Calibration Feature Might Bork Your Picture Quality, Actually

Last month, Apple introduced the new Apple TV and with it, a new color calibration feature in tvOS 14.5 for its streaming boxes. The way it works is you hold a compatible iPhone against the screen as it flashes through a series of colors and then voila—you’re supposed to get a properly balanced TV in…

Tech News Victoria Song

It’s Official—Apple Music’s Getting Hifi Streaming

Rumors had it that Apple would soon launch hifi audio streaming for Apple Music—and they were true. Today, Apple announced it’s bringing both spatial audio with Dolby Atmos and lossless audio to its music streaming service in June. Apple adding this to Apple Music isn’t exactly surprising. Apple’s been leaning into spatial audio for a…

Tech News Victoria Song

Not Even This Adorable Robot Could Get My Fat Cat to Exercise

My cat Pablo is fat. His fluffy tummy flops wildly from side to side when he runs, and he only runs to his food bowl. On the chart of chonky cats, he is most definitely a “megachonker” and a kibble binge or two away from graduating to “oh lawd he comin’.” I wake up most…

Reviews Victoria Song

Microsoft Is Rolling Out Dolby Vision for Xbox Series X and S Insiders

If you’re a part of the Xbox Insider Alpha ring, good news: Microsoft is rolling out Dolby Vision on the Xbox Series X and S consoles this week. Dolby Vision is an HDR format that adds dynamic metadata to an image, which translates to brighter highlights, sharper contrasts, and more vibrant colors. It was initially…

Gadgets Victoria Song

The Extremely Korean Reason Why Samsung Might Ditch Tizen for Wear OS

When I first heard the rumors that Samsung might ditch its proprietary Tizen OS for wearables in favor of Google’s Wear OS, I was flummoxed. Tizen is snappy and free of the many problems plaguing Google’s wearables softeware. In fact, I’d say Tizen has played a large role in making Samsung’s smartwatches the best option…

Gadgets Victoria Song

Apple Is Still Struggling to Unload Its Launch Day HomePods

Two months ago, Apple decided to discontinue the original HomePod. And yet, it appears the product is still available in the Apple Store—and if you buy one, you might actually get sent a HomePod from the original launch stock. Typically when a product is discontinued, you can find massive discounts, and if the product is…

Tech News Victoria Song

Here’s How to Get the Government to Pay $50 Toward Your Monthly Internet Bill

The past year has proven how vital the internet is for remote learning, working from home, and staying sane during lockdowns. As part of the stimulus package passed in December, Congress also set aside $3.2 billion for emergency broadband subsidies. Starting today, if you’ve lost a job during the pandemic or are facing other financial…

Internet Victoria Song

Bose’s FDA-Cleared Hearing Aids Are Cool, but You Should Still Be Skeptical

While you might expect that Bose’s latest gadget has something to do with music, it’s actually a lot closer to wearable health tech. In fact, they’re actually FDA-cleared, self-fitted hearing aids designed for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. The Bose SoundControl Hearing Aids are technologically intriguing. They feature a behind-the-ear, receiver-in-canal design with…

Gadgets Victoria Song

Google, You Should Already Know How People Feel About Wear OS

Google I/O is a little more than a week away and it appears the company is sending out surveys to Wear OS users. Why? To ask them how satisfied they are with their smartwatches. If you hear a strange sound in the distance, it’s not the sound of cicadas rising from their 17-year slumber. It’s…

Tech News Victoria Song

The FDA Just Approved a Smart Insulin Pen Cap That Might Make the Life of Diabetics Easier

The Food and Drug Administration has granted approval for an innovative smart pen cap system to help those with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes better manage their insulin dosage. This is huge news, as the system could help diabetics eliminate the guesswork when it comes to figuring out how much insulin to take,…

Gadgets Victoria Song

The PS5 Shortage Will Likely Stretch Into 2022

If you were hoping it’d get easier to snag a PlayStation 5, Sony’s got some bad news for you. In a call with analysts, Sony warned that they likely won’t be able to meet PS5 demand and restock stores through 2022. According to Bloomberg, Sony reported it had sold 7.8 million PS5s through March 31…

Gadgets Victoria Song

Stop Pretending Apple and Amazon’s Bluetooth Networks Can’t Be Abused

Hot on the heels of Apple’s AirTags launch, Amazon announced that it’s expanding its Sidewalk network with Tile, smart lock company Level, and elder care smartwatch maker CareBand. The news is the biggest expansion of Amazon Sidewalk since it was announced last year, and offers a glimpse into how the company envisions this device-to-device network…

Gadgets Victoria Song

FTC Report Calls Out Manufacturers on Their Anti-Repair Bullshit

After nearly two long years of waiting, the Federal Trade Commission released its “Nixing the Fix” report on restrictions employed by manufacturers on product repairs. Folks, it does not mince words, saying there is “scant evidence” justifying the obstacles companies put in place to limit consumers’ options when it comes to repairs. The lengthy report…

Gadgets Victoria Song

Google Plans to Automatically Enroll Users In Two-Factor Authentication Soon

Security experts have been banging the drum about password managers and enabling two-factor authentication for what seems like an eternity. Probably because year after year, hordes of you keep using “123456″ and “password” to secure your shit online. Well, Google’s not having it anymore. So long as you provide a secondary email or phone number, the…

Tech News Victoria Song

Peloton API Exposed User Data, Even for Private Accounts

Peloton’s had a rough go in the news cycle lately, and not helping matters is the fact that its leaky API allowed any hacker to obtain any user’s account data—even if that user had set their profile to private. The vulnerability, which was discovered by security research firm Pen Test Partners, allowed requests go through…

Privacy & Security Victoria Song

Holy Hell, Peloton Is Recalling Both Its Treadmills

After a heated back-and-forth with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Peloton has finally decided to issue two separate voluntary recalls of its Tread and Tread+ treadmills. In its announcement, the CPSC reiterated that customers should immediately stop using the Tread+, which was recently involved in an accident where a 6-year-old child died after being…

Tech News Victoria Song

Musicians Ask Spotify to Promise It’ll Never Use Its Creepy Speech-Recognition Patent

Earlier this year, Spotify was granted a patent for speech-recognition tech that could potentially recommend music based on your “emotional state, gender, age, or accent.” Now, a coalition of more than 180 artists and human rights organizations has written Spotify a letter asking the company to publicly commit to abandoning the dystopian technology. The letter,…

Internet Victoria Song

Victoria Song

Wear OS Just Got a Second Chance—It Better Not Blow It

Samsung and Google Will Work Together to Make Android Smartwatches Good

Apple Is Reportedly Going to Replace the M1 With a Crapload of New Chips

Apple’s TV Calibration Feature Might Bork Your Picture Quality, Actually

It’s Official—Apple Music’s Getting Hifi Streaming

Not Even This Adorable Robot Could Get My Fat Cat to Exercise

Microsoft Is Rolling Out Dolby Vision for Xbox Series X and S Insiders

The Extremely Korean Reason Why Samsung Might Ditch Tizen for Wear OS

Apple Is Still Struggling to Unload Its Launch Day HomePods

Here’s How to Get the Government to Pay $50 Toward Your Monthly Internet Bill

Bose’s FDA-Cleared Hearing Aids Are Cool, but You Should Still Be Skeptical

Google, You Should Already Know How People Feel About Wear OS

The FDA Just Approved a Smart Insulin Pen Cap That Might Make the Life of Diabetics Easier

The PS5 Shortage Will Likely Stretch Into 2022

Stop Pretending Apple and Amazon’s Bluetooth Networks Can’t Be Abused

FTC Report Calls Out Manufacturers on Their Anti-Repair Bullshit

Google Plans to Automatically Enroll Users In Two-Factor Authentication Soon

Peloton API Exposed User Data, Even for Private Accounts

Holy Hell, Peloton Is Recalling Both Its Treadmills

Musicians Ask Spotify to Promise It’ll Never Use Its Creepy Speech-Recognition Patent

Feds Sniffing Around Polymarket After Suspicious Bets

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Don’t Get Too Attached to Any AI App

‘Paradise’ Writer Teases What’s Coming in Season 3 After That Huge Twist

Trump’s New White House App Is Mildly Concerning and Weird for a Lot of Reasons

Bloodsucking Ticks Can Survive Inside Your Home Longer Than You Might Think

The Best New Toys of March 2026

Judge Denies Liking LinkedIn Post Critical of Elon Musk But Reassigns His Cases Anyway

Amazon Slashes 50% Off Keurig K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker, Now a Budget Alternative to Breville and Nespresso Espresso Machines

Sun’s Latest Outburst Complicates Planned Launch of Artemis 2

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

Asus ROG’s Massive Swift OLED Gaming Monitor Epitomizes Excess in the Best Way

The Ikea Varmblixt Smart Lamp Fills a Donut Hole in My Life

Nothing Headphone A vs. Headphone 1: Which Pair of ANC Wireless Headphones Wins?

Asus ROG’s Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds Might Be Better Than Wearing a Headset

Nintendo’s Talking Flower Is Annoying as Hell. I Love It

Level Lock Pro Review: As Good as a Secret Smart Lock Gets