There are way too many online services and subscriptions to keep track of these days, but the flip side is there’s a tool for just about everything. We’ve pulled together some of our favorite digital gifts and subscriptions, including time-tested music, video and gaming services as well as tools to clear your mental space and learn new skills. There are also a few subscriptions here that provide ongoing, IRL deliveries, if you think your giftee will appreciate the nostalgic charm of a physical object.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/holiday-gifts-digital-and-subscription-gifts-160041638.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
With its latest Instax camera, Fujifilm has separated the camera from the printer. The Instax Pal is a tiny palm-sized 4.9-megapixel (MP) camera that takes digital photos, then lets you print them to the bundled Instax Mini Link 2 printer with a variety of effects via the new Instax Pal app. Designed for users 13 and up, the idea is to "capture life's spontaneous moments for photo printing," the company says.
The camera is automatic, but aperture and shutter settings cover a wide range of shooting conditions, from interior to exterior. It's equipped with a wide angle lens and flash, and lets you shoot in a variety of ways. You can capture images by pushing the large shutter button on the back, or trigger it remotely using the Pal app. It supports interval shooting to capture scenes with 3, 6, 11 or 21 continuous images at three-second intervals.
There's a detachable ring for use as a finger strap, simple viewfinder (lol) or a camera stand for remote shooting. Other features include a speaker for audio prompts, a USB-C port for charging, a microSD card slot (the internal memory can hold 50 images) and even a screw mount for a tripod.
Via Bluetooth, the Instax Pal app gives you a view through the camera's lens for composing images and triggering the shutter. Images are then automatically copied to the app. You can adjust the exposure by +/- 2 EV and choose two between two quality settings, Rich mode (vivid, with more detail) and Natural mode. When you're ready to print, there's a bundle of effects that includes sepia, cool, vivid and soft, along with controls for brightness, contrast, rotate, crop, text, stickers, emojis and more.
Printing from the app is possible, but unfortunately requires a second Fujifilm app for the printer. It lets you print Instax Mini pictures (2.13 x 3.4 inches) in about 15 seconds, with a 1.5-minute development time. Quality is about the same as you'd get with an Instax Mini camera like the SQ40, since the process is the same — the only difference is that the Pal's camera is separated from the printer. The advantage to the second app is that you can also print photos from your smartphone's camera reel.
Photos can also be sent to friends via the Pal app, or posted to social media — all fitting for a camera marketed to teens. The only challenge is that it isn't cheap. The Instax Pal bundle arrives in late October (along with the app) for $ 200, while the new Soft Lavender Instax film designed for the bundle is $ 15.75 for a 10 pack (regular Instax film is about $ 13 for a ten pack). If you only need physical photos, other Instax Mini models are far cheaper at less than $ 100 — but the Pal does support both physical and digital photos, while giving you a smartphone printer to boot.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/fujifilms-instax-pal-is-a-tiny-digital-camera-that-lets-you-print-later-091509085.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
Of all the world-changing technologies and innovative ideas on display at CES 2023, these ones impressed us the most.
Digital Trends
From dual-screen laptops to smarter smart rings, the top tech of CES 2023 took existing technologies and made them practical enough to finally buy. Here are our favorites.
Digital Trends
After first teasing it way back on January 2021, Korg has released the much-anticipated Drumlogue, a hybrid drum machine with a digital multi-engine and expandability via the logue SDK used in its Minilogue XD and other products. It has both analog and digital drum synths and can also play back samples, with the unique ability to add third-party plug-in effects and more — making it one of the more versatile drum machines out there.
As mentioned, the Drumlogue has three sound engines, analog and digital synthesisers as well as sample-based instruments. The analog has a kick, snare hi tom and low tom, with controls to manipulate decay, tune and more.
On the digital side, it comes with the Nano virtual analog synth plugin or, you can load a multi-engine with VPM synthesis, a noise generator, or other custom algorithms via the logue SDK (multi-engine) found on the NTS-1 and other products. It also supports third-party logue plugins using Korg's SDK. From there, you can use the multi-fx engine to load effects including reverb, delay, equalizer, boost and compressor.
The sequencer offers 64 steps, chain functionality and other features. On the connectivity side, it comes with four assignable 6.3mm audio outputs and an audio input for routing external audio through the effects. Despite the audio input, it doesn't work as a sampler — you can only play back samples. It's now available on preorder for $ 600 at B&H Photo Video and elsewhere.
After Arizona, Apple is bringing support for driver’s licenses and IDs in the Wallet app to Maryland. Other states are expected to follow soon.
Wearables | Digital Trends
Michigan drivers now have the option of adorning their cars with digital license plates, which can locate lost vehicles and receive public safety alerts — for a fee. Reviver, the maker of the connected plates, announced that Michigan residents and businesses can now purchase the device (known as the RPlate) online. Consumers can choose between two models: a battery-powered plate and a hard-wired plate that includes GPS. The plates have been available for sale in California and Arizona, and the company is aiming to make them available nationwide.
But what exactly is a digital license plate? The RPlate is essentially a license plate with an HD display and LTE connectivity (as well as GPS for the hard-wired model) that includes a number of security and personalization features. Drivers can switch between dark and light modes and select personalized messages to appear at the bottom. The GPS-enabled plate also includes telematic transponders, so it can locate a lost or stolen vehicle and send alerts to your smartphone if it detects suspicious movement. There’s a companion mobile app that allows drivers to track mileage and renew their vehicle registration online.
Reviver's digital plate also includes a couple of security features that could be overkill for some. For example, there’s a “Valet Parking” mode that lets you monitor your car remotely while it is being parked by a valet attendant and a geofencing option for family members or employees who drive the car that sends alerts if they violate the travel boundaries.
The digital license plates don’t come cheap. Both models require a subscription ($ 19.95 per month for battery-powered and $ 24.95 per month for hard-wired) and cost an additional $ 150 if you elect to have a professional install the plate. The company is also working on a number of new features, including integration with toll roads, parking meters and additional DMV services.
Security researchers have found a way to circumvent digital locks and security systems that rely on Bluetooth fobs and smartphones for authentication.
Mobile | Digital Trends
A new study found that children’s media use has grown more in the last two years than in the four years prior.
Mobile | Digital Trends
PayPal may be friendlier to digital currencies, but that doesn’t mean it’s giving everyone a free pass. Mashable reports the payments giant has terminated the account for domain registrar Epik, known for serving right-wing havens like Gab and the Pro…
Engadget
We’re only a day or so away from Sony’s next PlayStation 5 event where we hope to get a confirmed price / launch date for the new console, but the rumors are still coming in. After reporting in July that Sony would respond to the coronavirus pandemic…
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Digital Wellbeing controls on smartphones is a good thing. It helps you control how much time you’re spending looking down at your favorite screen and can keep you aware of just how much time you’re wasting on social media or playing games. But Android TV feels like it should have this feature, too. After all, […]
Come comment on this article: Add Digital Wellbeing to Android TV with this simple app
Google News will no longer offer a paid magazine subscriptions. According to Android Police, the News team sent out an email to customers, telling them that the company is killing print-replica magazines in Google News. A company spokesperson has con…
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One useful gadget that just about every cord-cutter should have is a digital antenna. There are still a ton of channels broadcast OTA all over the US, and with a simple antenna plugged into your TV you can access all of them, completely free. Right now that’s easier than ever with the discounted Rveal indoor […]
Come comment on this article: [TA Deals] Grab the Rveal Digital Indoor Antenna and start cutting the cord (31% off)
At Google I/O in May, we introduced new tools that help people better understand their tech usage, focus on what matters most and disconnect when needed. Starting today, you can find all of the YouTube tools in one place, alongside your personal time watched profile. Our goal is to provide a better understanding of time spent on YouTube, so you can make informed decisions about how you want YouTube to best fit into your life.
Here are a few tips and tricks to get you started toward building your own sense of digital wellbeing:
Know how much you actually watch (new!): To give you a better understanding of how much you watch, we’ve built a profile that’s available in your account menu rolling out starting today. This profile tells you how long you’ve watched YouTube videos today, yesterday and over the past 7 days.
We’re dedicated to making sure that you have the information you need to better understand how you use YouTube and develop your own sense of digital wellbeing. We hope these tips are a good start.
Posted by: Brian Marquardt, Director of Product Management, who recently watched Take a Break: Backstreet Boys in Las Vegas
Back at Google I/O this year, Google announced some digital wellbeing tools for YouTube and Android. Now that Android 9 Pie is official we have access to some of those system-wide tools, but the YouTube update has been elusive all year. It’s finally starting to roll out, though, so you’ll soon be able to keep […]
Come comment on this article: Google’s digital wellbeing tools for YouTube are finally rolling out
Sony is one of the few companies persisting in E Ink stylus devices, despite the fact that they're way less practical than a tablet and surprisingly expensive. It has just unveiled a new model, the DPT-CP1 that helps (a bit) on the latter count. It's…
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While initial coin offerings aren't prohibited in the US like they are in China and South Korea, authorities are still keeping a close eye on them. Case in point: the US Securities and Exchange Commission's first ICO-related charges brought against a…
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South Koreans who were planning to raise funds using cryptocurrency will have to find an alternative method. The country has decided to follow in China's footsteps and has banned raising money through all forms of virtual currency, according to Reute…
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It only took half a year, but Google's first take on a digital whiteboard is finally available. Google has started selling the Jamboard in the US for $ 4,999 plus $ 600 per year for management and support ($ 300 if you buy one by the end of September)….
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The Anyractive GoTouch transforms virtually any electronic screen into digital whiteboard. It supports Android and iOS mobile devices, plus a growing number of Windows and Mac computers.
The post The Anyractive GoTouch transforms electronic screens into digital whiteboards appeared first on Digital Trends.
A California study showed increases in home broadband internet access, but for many, access is limited to smartphones, which does not help with education. The digital divide between lower- and upper-income households is not making much progress.
The post The digital divide is still divided — smartphones just don’t do the trick appeared first on Digital Trends.
Samsung isn’t the only one getting in on the Olympic-themed action, as Google has just announced a big addition to Street View in Google Maps. Technically, Google’s is less Olympic-related and more Rio-related, but it’s close enough. Google partnered with eight of Rio’s top art institutions to allow users to browse and view several art […]
Come comment on this article: Google brings historic Rio exhibits and landmarks to a digital art collection
MasterCard wants to turn every device into a credit card with its secure mobile payment technology and NFC. The company partnered with Ringly, Nymi, TrackR, GM, and a fashion designer to turn connected devices into payment devices.
The post MasterCard wants to put a digital wallet into everything you own appeared first on Digital Trends.
Tech companies from around the world brought their best to Berlin for IFA 2015, but these winners in 10 different categories truly exemplify the finest the show had to offer.
The post Digital Trends Top Tech of IFA 2015 Award Winners appeared first on Digital Trends.
Windows 10 won’t have Media Center included but this week Microsoft revealed that it will have support for surround sound in some new ways, and it could make Netflix streaming even better. Beyond supporting Dolby Digital Plus in the Windows 10 OS — …
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