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ICYMI: the 7 biggest tech news of the week, from Disney Plus password sharing to the RingConn Gen 2 smart ring

Idris Bevan August 10, 2024

This week in tech has brought us exciting new products, some annoying price increases, and leaks that hint at future gadgets we’re dying to try out.

Keeping up with all of this and more is a mammoth task, so let us get you up to speed on the latest tech news. We’ve compiled the seven most important stories of the week here, so you can browse through the most important announcements.

Next week, Google will unveil brand new technologies for the Pixel 9 smartphone, so be sure to check back here for all the latest information. For now, let’s recap what happened over the last seven days.

7. Google was declared a “monopolist” in search

The Apple and Google logos next to each other

(Image credit: Apple / Google)

A US federal judge this week declared Google a “monopolist” because of its position as the world’s largest search engine. The judge particularly criticized the way Google pays companies to offer the search engine as a default option for their products.

This decision will likely be appealed, but no matter how things ultimately turn out, the big question remains how much this decision would actually change, considering Apple’s own Senior Vice President of Services, Eddy Cue, says, “I don’t think there’s a price in the world that Microsoft could offer us. They offered to give us Bing for free. They could give us the whole company.”

This could rather mean that Google will continue to be the default solution, but the company will no longer have to pay for this privilege.

6. Google has killed off Chromecast with a brand new TV streamer

The Google TV streamer in Hazel

(Image credit: Google)

This week, Google said goodbye to Chromecast and released a new Gemini-based streaming box called Google TV Streamer.

This more feature-rich device costs $99.99 / £99 / AU$159.99, but offers 4K images at 60 frames per second, support for HDR, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG and Dolby Vision video standards alongside Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby Atmos audio standards, a faster processor than the old Chromecast with Google TV, and 4GB of RAM and 32GB of built-in storage.

It can be pre-ordered now and will ship from September 24th.

5. Google has redesigned the Nest Learning Thermostat

The 4th generation Nest Learning Thermostat in polished gold

(Image credit: Google)

In addition to the Google TV streamer, the company’s pre-released “Made By Google” announcements also include the new 4th generation Nest Learning Thermostat, which features the most comprehensive redesign of the technology yet.

Instead of a flat dial, the almost entirely curved glass front looks like a Pixel Watch for your wall, yet still features intuitive rotation controls. It also features smart schedules that suggest adjustments to your cooling and heating routines based on your habits and local weather conditions to help you save money on your bills.

It costs $279.99 (it’s optimized for heating systems in the US and Canada, so there are no plans for a global launch yet) and includes a temperature sensor—additional sensors cost $29.99.

Image of Disney Plus being watched on a television with a hand holding a remote control

(Image credit: Ivan Marc/Shutterstock)

Whether it’s annual price increases, cancellations of popular TV shows, or other frustrating creative decisions beyond our control, the world’s best streaming services test our patience.

Of all the bizarre consumer decisions we’ve seen recently, none have been as infuriating as Netflix’s ban on account sharing between households. Now, Disney Plus is taking a leaf out of its competitor’s book and confirming that its own crackdown on password sharing will go into effect worldwide in September.

Frankly, we’re already sick of this newfangled streaming-based gatekeeping and sincerely hope that other platforms don’t follow suit, otherwise we might give up on streaming forever.

3. Garmin’s Run Coach has become much smarter

Garmin Forerunner 955 displays the training readiness value

(Photo credit: Matt Evans)

Garmin’s latest beta update for its top running watches (the Fenix, Epix, and Forerunner lines) tests a new, improved Run Coach feature that uses its algorithms.

Rather than having a static plan designed by a real running coach, the updated Run Coach feature seems to be fully integrated into the Garmin Connect app, using its intelligence to take into account your training readiness and sleep metrics. Had a bad night or pushed yourself too hard? Your running plan could change to take into account your recovery metrics and previous training load.

The feature is still in beta, but will likely be available on more running watches via a free update after the official launch.

2. RingConn Gen 2 broke Kickstarter records

The internal components of the RingConn Smart Ring Gen 2 on a grey background

(Image credit: RingConn)

With the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Ring, not only did we get to see a new smart ring, but it also seems to have revived other brands’ interest in this area of wearable technology – the Kickstarter campaign for the RingConn Gen 2 broke all records.

Its popularity isn’t the only reason you should pay attention to this smart ring. We gave the previous model four stars in our RingConn Smart Ring review, calling the budget-friendly option a “solid alternative to the Oura Smart Ring.” Sure, it lacks some of the bells and whistles, but it costs just $279 (around £219 and AU$418), making it a lot cheaper than the $399/£399 (around AU$750) Galaxy Ring.

The Gen 2 has an extended 12-day battery life and new sleep apnea monitoring technology, plus more health and fitness tracking features, for just $299 (£234 / AU$460) – or $209 (£164 / AU$322) if you buy it before the deadline – so it’s worth considering if you need a smart ring.

1. DJI’s lightest drone ever launches according to new leaks

The DJI Avata 2 drone and the Osmo Action 5 Pro action camera rest on a rock

(Image credit: DJI)

DJI has released some amazing drones over the past decade, but if this week’s DJI Neo leaks are accurate, the company may be on the verge of releasing its most fun flying machine yet.

The Neo will apparently be DJI’s lightest drone yet, but still offers a 4K camera, AI-powered subject tracking, and possibly support for FPV headsets. That would be quite a combination, not least because the Neo is also said to be quite cheap for a DJI drone (rumored to be $329, or about £320 / AU$515).

When might we see the Neo version? This week’s leaks suggest that August 20 is the date to look out for – a new Action 5 Pro action cam follows just over a week later, on August 28.

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ICYMI: the 7 biggest tech news of the week, from Disney Plus password sharing to the RingConn Gen 2 smart ring

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Idris Bevan

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