HTC still makes smartphones, and it looks like a new one is on the way. HTC’s UK account on X is teasing an announcement for June 12th. I still fondly remember the early days of HTC smartphones, so I’m personally hoping for a return of the legendary HD2 Windows Mobile device that opened the door to custom ROMs and mobile mods.

Elgato loves to reveal new hardware in its software updates, and today it’s time for an early look at the new Light Strip Pro. This particular light strip will have 120 individually addressable RGB LEDs, and it comes equipped with adhesive backing and magnets for mounting on your desk. The Light Strip Pro should appear on Elgato’s store soon (link not working yet).

The EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) came into force in March, resulting in the launch of the following new third-party iOS app marketplaces:

• AltStore Pal (hands-on)

• SetApp Mobile (hands-on)

• Aptoide game store (hands-on)

• Mobivention (hands-on)

Each has its own pros and cons but none has been able to upset the balance of power in Europe.

I’m not actually playing Duck Hunt with darts on an OLED screen, of course, but this blaster did shoot that suction tip dart! The free files are designed by Gemeneye, and I’m really digging the inline clip mod that gives it three short dart shots.

It’s now on my wall next to the telescoping Master Sword.

The Bambu A1 Mini with four-color AMS Lite is $110 off — just $349 — for Bambu’s 2nd anniversary sale. Other printers on sale too! But what caught my eye is a rare $50 off the standalone AMS. It just became my birthday present this year, no joke. Can’t wait to slap it atop my trusty P1P printer:

Ricoh announced a new duo of waterproof / shockproof tough point-and-shoot cameras launching in July. No, the year is not 2011, but compact cameras continue to have their moment in 2024.

The 16-megapixel Pentax WG-1000 is the new entry-level with 4x optical zoom and waterproofing to 49.2 ft for $229.95. The 20-megapixel Pentax WG-8 is the flagship with 5x zoom, 65.6 ft depth range, and LED ring light for $399.95.

If you want to be technical about it, 8K was never especially viable on the PS5 to begin with, but when the system launched in 2020 TV makers were heavily pushing 8K as the next big thing and Sony wanted to futureproof its pricey platform.

With a PS5 Pro coming soon, and likely supporting more robust 8K, removing 8K claims off the PS5 box isn’t a surprise.

Announced in May, Uber Caregiver will help caregivers more easily arrange transportation and deliveries starting this summer. What I think is really useful, though, is that Uber’s partnering with health insurers so you could use healthcare benefits to pay for rides to medical appointments and more.

The waitlist is free to join, so why not?

The standalone app is now available in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, and others. The Android app, announced in February, brings the Gemini chatbot to mobile. But if you’re on iOS, you have to download the Google App to use Gemini.

The robotaxi company now covers 315 square miles in Metro Phoenix, making it “the largest autonomous ride-hail territory in the United States” — a totally real and not-at-all-made-up superlative. Even so, the incremental growth shows that Waymo is getting more confident in its driverless capabilities. But some argue the real confidence is when it can start adding multiple new cities in a year. And Waymo still feels like it’s not quite there yet.

It’s a police-operated drone. WIRED took a deep look into how one California city is using the aerial devices to collect information before responding in-person to some incidents. After analyzing 10,000 flight records over a two-year period, WIRED found poorer residents had more contact with the drones. But most Chula Vista residents interviewed said they supported the program.

Zotac just confirmed the dimensions of its new PC gaming handheld to me — plus a few other specs — and wow is it large. The 7-inch handheld is wider, taller, and almost as thick as the 8-inch Lenovo Legion Go, and notably bigger than Steam Deck.

(Deck is technically thicker than both, but a lot of that’s down to taller joysticks.)

In the grand scheme of things, there have been far worse security breaches than what Peak Design, the popular camera accessory brand, is currently dealing with.

But if you had any customer service interactions with the company between October 2013 and May 2023, well... everything contained in those tickets was accessed by an unknown third party before the issue was fixed. Not great.

Casetify has a new collection of phone cases and accessories commemorating Donald Duck’s 90th birthday and oh my god DUCK BUTT.

Ford CEO Jim Farley touted a recent milestone: 200 million miles traveled for customers using the automaker’s hands-free driver assist system, BlueCruise. That’s enough for a roundtrip from the Earth to the Sun. Meanwhile, Tesla said its customers using Full Self-Driving have gone over 1 billion miles — or enough for a trip to Saturn. Who will be the first to reach Pluto?

Right up there with Umbrella, baby.