Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding my work at Lifehacker as a preferred source.

Apple has reportedly paused its plan to revamp its Vision Pro headset in favor of speeding up development of smart glasses. According to Bloomberg, Apple internally announced last week that it was shifting employees and resources away from the next iteration of the Vision Pro and towards developing two models of yet unnamed Apple-branded smart glasses.

The first Apple glasses, codenamed N50, are audio-and-AI-focused spectacles designed to pair with iPhones, similar to the first generation of Ray-Ban Meta glasses. Apple is aiming to get them to market in 2026. The second, more ambitious, Apple glasses will feature a display, like the second generation of Meta smart glasses. According to Bloomberg’s sources, the release date for Apple display glasses was originally 2028, but the company has decided to speed up development in order to release them sooner.

Vision Pro gets a tune-up, not a sequel

Apple isn’t halting all work on the Vision Pro. The company is apparently still planning to release an improved version of its headset later this year. The Vision Pro will feature a faster chip (and no doubt other modest improvements) but it isn’t a new generation of the headset.

Apple is also reportedly working on revamping Siri for a planned March 2026 release. The more powerful AI agent will no doubt be included in everything Apple, from phones, computers, and cameras, to smart glasses.

The future reality will be augmented, not virtual

Given the disappointing sales of Apple Vision Pro headsets, and how far Apple is behind the industry leader in the smart glasses space—Meta released its original AI-equipped smart glasses in 2021—it’s not surprising that the company would be allocating resources toward playing catch up. But it’s disappointing news for fans of Apple Vision Pro. If the company is halting development of the next generation of its VR headset, support for the current generation will likely suffer.

If you’re on the fence about whether to buy a pair of smart glasses or a VR headset, all signs point to the future being heavy on glasses and augmented reality, and light on headsets and virtual reality. The eventual goal for tech companies like Apple, Google, Amazon, and Meta is creating true augmented reality in glasses that could replace smart phones entirely. How long it will take to develop a pair of specs that can replace your phone (and really the rest of your screens) remains to be seen, but I’ve used Meta’s smart glasses every day for nearly a year, and tried going totally screenless for a day using Xreal display glasses, a smartphone-free future doesn’t seem that far off.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.

Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding Lifehacker as a preferred source for tech news.

As of today, a ton of massive changes just hit the Peloton ecosystem. The at-home fitness giant didn’t just overhaul one part of the structure 6 million people rely on for quality workouts—it made improvements and tweaks across its hardware, software, content, and partnerships. Everything is available for members to explore now, both in the mobile app and on the brand’s proprietary equipment devices, but I don’t blame you if you’re not even sure what to start looking first. Here’s what you need to know.

Peloton devices got a makeover

Peloton became most famous for its classic Bike, a stationary bicycle with a touchscreen that, since 2014, has allowed anyone anywhere to take a virtual spin class. Since the introduction of the Bike, the brand has rolled out an upgraded version, plus two kinds of treadmills and one rowing machine. The first big announcement of the day has to do with all those products: The five-part lineup is staying the same, but the Bike, Bike+, Tread, Tread+, and Row all got a significant makeover.

Known collectively as the Peloton Cross Training Series, the new lineup is this:

• The Cross Training Bike

• The Cross Training Bike+

• The Cross Training Tread

• The Cross Training Tread+

• The Cross Training Row+

Each of the devices features a swiveling screen (which users of the old Bike+ will be familiar with) designed to allow users to switch more seamlessly between cardio and Peloton’s other class offerings, like strength, yoga, and Pilates. That is where the whole “cross training” thing comes in. They also have enhanced audio, better processors for touchscreen responsiveness, and upgraded wifi and Bluetooth, giving them a distinct edge over their predecessors.

Of particular note is what comes with the Plus line, or any device with a “+” after the name. Those all have a built-in, movement-tracking camera that will monitor your form, count your reps, and help the software suggest weights for you to use in your strength workouts. I tested it out yesterday at Peloton Studios in New York and was impressed. (If you recall, a few months ago, Peloton phased out the Guide, a camera that connected to users’ TVs and did a much rougher version of what these built-in cameras are now going to do. We should have seen this new integration coming then.)

The Plus line also comes with Sonos audio, hands-free control so you can make vocal commands to adjust your weight or pause a workout, and accessories and features based on users’ requests. They have a three-speed fan built in to cool you down, for instance, and the Bike+ finally has a tray that can hold your phone. The Bike and Bike+ have cushier seats, though you can also purchase one of these new seats separately for your older Bike and Bike+ models.

Peloton IQ

The brand also announced the launch of its AI component, Peloton IQ. Remember how I mentioned the Plus line allows for voice commands? You can say, “OK, Peloton, skip this exercise,” or “OK, Peloton, pause this workout.” That’s pretty useful if you’re, say, doing a lift or yoga exercise and your touchscreen isn’t within reach.

But the AI does more than that. Its real purpose is to provide “dynamic coaching.” Basically, your Peloton app got a major redesign (which you can see for yourself by opening it on your phone or Peloton device right now). Across the top, you’ll see suggested workouts that are based on your goals, your past workouts, and your schedule. Crucially, this works on older models, too. I asked reps at Peloton Studios about this specifically yesterday and everyone was quite clear that they’re not trying to force users to give up existing Bikes, Treads, or Rows.

Still, the most advanced features of Peloton IQ are only available on the new Plus line, since those devices have the movement-tracking camera that enables the AI to give feedback, correct form, count reps, and suggest weights. The Plus line also allows for self-paced strength workouts similar to the ones you can find on Peloton’s Strength+ app. Instead of following along with a class and instructor, you can generate a workout plan that simply walks you through a series of exercises and you can go at your own speed. You can pick your target muscle groups, deny exercises you don’t want to do, and change the weight you’re using for a totally custom experience.

One cool thing I saw during yesterday’s demo was that if you nail your form too easily or do more reps than suggested, the AI will automatically tell you when it’s time for you to consider using heavier weights. You can accept or deny this suggestion and if you accept, from then on, it will be set so you’re always doing that exercise with that weight. You can input any weights you have on hand at home, so even if you only have a set of five-pound dumbbells, the app will tell you when to use them and won’t suggest exercises with anything heavier or lighter.

Club Peloton, better Teams, and more

On your Peloton app, you’ll also now see something called Club Peloton, which is a recognition program that rewards you for consistency and variety in your workouts. You’ll be assigned a level—bronze, silver, gold, or legendary—based on things like workout streaks or trying new types of exercises. Reps told me at the demo event that Club Peloton will eventually evolve to start giving back. For instance, members of a certain level may be eligible for discounts on certain items or to get early access to classes.

Peloton says this is part of its “further investment in human connections.” Obviously, the company is famous for making it possible to do complete workouts all on your own at home, but a big part of its success comes from the ways it approximates the in-person feeling by offering virtual group classes, personable instructors, and other features like Teams. You can join Teams with your friends and compete together or against one another or even join Teams based on mutual attributes like being a new mother or living in a certain region, but with today’s overhaul, you can now also join something called Official Peloton Teams. These are helmed by Peloton instructors and include options like Move for Life, Cross Training, Menopause Health, and more.

Peloton pricing

Peloton’s prices are going up, which isn’t exactly a surprise. The company’s letter to investors during the last earning period hinted at that and it’s to be expected with all these new features rolling out. At least now it finally makes sense why Bikes, Treads, and Rows were being phased out at sporting goods stores a few months ago, and Peloton launched its own resale platform over the summer for people who want to sell their old equipment: We’re getting a whole new fleet of devices.

So, the new prices for membership are:

• All-Access Membership goes up from $44 to $49.99 per month

• App+ Membership goes up from $24 to $28.99

• App One Membership goes up from $12.99 to $15.99

The devices are priced like this:

• The Cross Training Bike is $1,695 (plus $150 for expert assembly if you don’t want to do it yourself for free)

• The Cross Training Bike+ is $2,695 (plus $150 for optional expert assembly)

• The Cross Training Tread is $3,295 (plus $150 for optional expert assembly)

• The Cross Training Tread+ is $6,695 and you’ll need to pay $299 for assembly

• The Cross Training Row+ is $3,495 (plus $150 for optional expert assembly

Final notes and first impressions

I saw all of this at a press event yesterday and was truly impressed, especially because there wasn’t much of a hint about what the event was even about before I got there. The brand kicked off today’s big launch by adding 2,000 classes compatible with the new AI features and everyone, even people with the lowest-level, app-only membership, can now access most of the new offerings (besides the motion-tracking features). That’s a lot to keep under wraps.

From what I saw during demos, these are genuinely solid improvements. Even the swiveling screens, fans, and phone tray are nice touches, since those are the kinds of things Peloton users have been paying extra to third parties to get for years.

This is just the broad view of all the changes and it’ll take me some time to work through all the new features and options on my app and Bike, but I’ll update my old posts and create highlights for the truly noteworthy changes over the next few days. I already know I’m going to be thrilled by the new integration with Apple Health, for instance, even though I haven’t gotten to play with it yet. I’ve been tracking all my non-Peloton workouts through the Peloton app for weeks, since it’s easier than tracking some with Apple Health and others with Peloton. Now, any workout I complete on or off the app will be reflected in my Peloton history and will contribute to the AI’s suggestions for what I should do on a given day.

Over the next month, there will be promotions available so anyone who wants to upgrade to a new piece of equipment can do it more economically. As I find out more about those, I’ll keep you updated. Personally, after all of yesterday’s demos, I’m already pretty sure it’s about time for me to retire my classic Bike and invest in the new Bike+.

Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding my work at Lifehacker as a preferred source.

On Monday, Meta announced six new features it rolled out to WhatsApp users. The thing is, these features might not be that new. The company somewhat confusingly says these features have been added to the app “over the past few months,” despite some clearly rolling out only within the past few days.

While it might be tough to say when each of these features officially dropped, the point is they’re here now, and you can try them out today. Here are the six new features Meta highlighted, and what you can expect to see the next time you open the app:

Support for Live Photos and Motion Photos

Perhaps the biggest news of the bunch is support for Live Photos (iOS) and Motion Photos (Android). Before this latest update, these moving photos would simply as static images, so you’d miss out on the extra few seconds of motion and audio. If you wanted to send the full Live Photo or Motion Photo, you needed to choose a different messaging app. No longer!

It’s the latest WhatsApp update to make it easer to freely share media. Over the years, the company has slowly updated its policies on sharing high quality photos and videos. It was only in 2024 that WhatsApp finally let you share these images in full resolution, so it’s not that surprising to me that it took this long for Live Photo support.

Document scanning on Android

If you frequently share documents on WhatsApp, this is great news: Android users now have access to the app’s built-in document scanner. This feature was previously exclusive to iPhones, so it’s good to see it arrive on the Android version as well.

You’l find the “Document” option under the (+) button in any given chat.

Meta AI chat themes

Meta’s custom, AI-generated chat themes are now available in WhatsApp. The feature is a bit buried in the “Chat theme” settings, but after tapping “Create with AI,” you can ask the bot to generate any type of background you want. If you can’t think of anything, Meta AI has a series of pre-generated backgrounds you can use.

As you might expect, these backgrounds include all the hallmarks of AI-generated images: uncanny realisms, high contrast, and that “AI sheen.” Still, if you feel like mixing up your chat background with something you can’t find in the app’s selections, you can give this image generator a try. I’d prefer to stick with the human-generated selections.

That said, WhatsApp is far from the only app to offer AI-generated chat backgrounds. Even Apple’s Messages app now does, at least with iOS 26.

Video call backgrounds

Similarly, you can now use Meta AI to generate custom backgrounds for your video calls. This feature works when taking photos and videos directly in the chat, as well, just in case you ever want to quickly replace your background with something AI-generated. Outside of the sheer novelty though, I’m not sure when that would be all that practical.

Better group search

You can now search for specific contact names in the main Chats tab, and have WhatsApp return all of the groups you two are in together. I could see this being an easier way to find a group chat that’s been buried in your threads: Instead of scrolling or searching for specific messages, just search for the name of someone you know is in the chat.

Additional sticker packs

WhatsApp is also introducing at least two new sticker packs: “Fearless Bird” and “Vacation.”

Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding Lifehacker as a preferred source for tech news.

In a world that seems increasingly determined to keep us apart, we’re all bound together by at least one universal experience: the frustration of talking to a real person on the phone at a customer service call center. Whether we want to complain, resolve a problem, or simply get information, call center interactions can be a maddening experience. Companies are increasingly hiding their customer service representatives behind phone menus and AI-driven tools, and even if you make contact, the experience is often less than ideal. With October Prime Day around the corner, finding a solution to this problem can save you a lot of headaches.

While different companies handle their call centers in different ways (and host them in different countries), there are some universal truths to keep in mind—and use to your advantage, if you know a few secret ways to navigate them. These tips won’t guarantee you success in your quest for a refund, a return, or simply an explanation as to why you were shipped you a BTS-branded body pillow instead of the winter coat you ordered. But they will increase your odds of emerging from the call with something to show for your efforts.

A good general piece of advice: Keep calm, and always be polite. Call center employees are human beings doing a difficult job, so remind yourself that your beef isn’t with them, it’s with their corporate overlords.

GetHuman

Your chances of customer service success increase dramatically when you get a human being on the line. Hitting a rigid phone menu is pretty common these days, and it’s frustrating: The automated options often aren’t flexible enough to cover your specific need, and they seem to be designed to stop all but the hardiest souls from actually reaching a customer service rep (CSR).

And that’s because they are. It costs money every time you connect with a CSR, so companies try to keep you away from them as much as possible. So, instead of tangling with their phone menu and hearing “I’m sorry, I didn’t understand that” fifteen times until you set your phone on fire in frustration, try a service like GetHuman. Type in the name of the company you’re trying to contact and see if there’s a direct phone number you can dial to get a person, or if they offer a set of easy instructions on how to break out of the phone menu. If you do get a human on the phone, ask for a direct number to call back if your problem needs to be addressed again.

The supervisor trick

It’s an oldie but a goodie—and it does work. If your CSR isn’t helpful, or you’re not getting the result you want, ask to speak to a supervisor. A slightly more polite and less combative way to do this is to ask to speak to “someone who can solve my problem” or similar language. In almost all situations, your CSR is obligated to transfer you upon request, and supervisors are often empowered to do things the common CSR can’t.

Hit zero—or say nothing

If you can’t get any information on how to connect to a human being, try pressing zero on your phone’s keypad. Many (though not all) call center phone menus will automatically dump you to a CSR if you press zero.

If that doesn’t work, have a little patience and simply do nothing. Most phone menus will time out if you don’t respond in any way to their prompts—and dump you to a human being by default. This might take a minute or two, but it often works.

Call during off hours

As you might imagine, call centers experience busy times like any other business, and they tend to align with people’s waking hours. If the company you’re trying to reach offers 24-hour customer service, try calling very early in the morning or very late at night. Most sane, well-adjusted people will be asleep or enjoying their lives, so your chances of getting through quickly (and your chances the CSR will have extra time for you) will be better.

Exhaust the script

It’s important to understand that every single CSR you speak to is working from a script. Companies develop complex algorithms for dealing with customer complaints. These scripts are designed to shorten call lengths—and to avoid outcomes the company finds undesirable (like refunding your money).

But like all scripts, they’re limited. A few simple tricks can help you break free from the script—and that’s when you can really get something done. A few things to try:

• Repeat your demands. CSR scripts usually have a limit on how often the CSR can refuse you—but they won’t tell you that. Most commonly, if you trigger the same script loop three times, the CSR is obliged to transfer you—or empowered to reveal another option they’ve yet to share. So if the CSR tells you they can’t refund you, don’t just accept it—ask again. And then again.

• Stay on the line. CSRs are always on the clock. Every interaction costs the company money, and their job performance is often tied to how quickly they can resolve customer problems. The longer you refuse to end the interaction, the closer you get to being transferred to someone who can actually do what you want, or inspiring the CSR to use some of the power they do have just to get you off the line.

• Jump the script. When trying to cancel an account or get a refund, CSR scripts are larded with alternatives, up-sells, and misdirections. (Ever tried to cancel your cable TV and somehow wound up with three months of free HBO instead? That’s the power of the script.) One trick is to start off by pre-refusing everything—tell the CSR you don’t want freebies, discounts, new services, or anything else, you want one very specific thing. This can short-circuit the script and get you where you want to go much faster.

Call back immediately

If your CSR refuses to see things your way, don’t get mad—change venues. Politely end the call, then call back immediately. You’ll almost certainly get a different CSR, and the experience can often be dizzyingly different. That’s because your call may be routed to an entirely different call center, or may be picked up by a CSR with more experience—and more authority.

Show them the money

If you’re having trouble getting a human being on the line no matter what you try, there’s one last trick to play: Choose the menu option that involves spending money. Upgrade your account, make a purchase, take on the optional insurance—whatever option results in your bill going up will almost certainly get an eager human being on the phone. They may not be the right person to speak to, but now you’re inside the phone menu, and they can transfer you to a more appropriate department.

Customer service often seems like a battle of wills. But it’s also a battle of wits, and these secrets will give you some extra ammo.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.

Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding my work at Lifehacker as a preferred source.

October Prime Day is nearly here, and with it comes a surge of discounts and savings. While Amazon wants you to think each and every deal you come across is worth your time and attention, the truth is that few of these deals are actually that great.

All the chaos overwhelms even the most seasoned online shopper, making it hard to know if you’re really saving money at all. But there’s one category that will undoubtedly stand out on Prime Days by design: tech made by Amazon itself. That means items like Fire tablets, Fire TV Cubes, and anything else specifically made by Amazon.

For typical tech sales, most retailers want you buying whatever they can convince you to plunk down money for, be it an iPhone or an Android, a Mac or PC, Xbox or PlayStation. They just want as much of your money as possible, and so traditional shopping events like Black Friday see deals across the spectrum of brands and manufacturers. But Amazon is different.

Amazon is both a store and a manufacturer

While the company sells tons of products from a wide variety of manufacturers, it also makes its own tech. If you’re looking for a new smart TV, Amazon makes one; if you just want the smart TV streaming device, Amazon makes that as well. For home security, there are both Blink and Ring products. Alexa powers so many of these devices, so why not get one of its smart speakers or screens operated via the personal assistant? Amazon Basics even makes plenty of accessories, from USB cables to batteries.

Amazon now makes so much tech, it only makes sense that the company would prefer to sell you its version of a product over that of the competition. Instead of a Roku, buy a Fire TV stick. Instead of a Nest Mini, buy an Echo Pop. It seems Amazon has comparable products in almost every category—they even make their own earbuds (Echo Buds).

The quality of these products compared to the competition is certainly up for debate, and I encourage you to do your own research before buying any tech product—made by Amazon or otherwise. But whenever you do search for a tech product on Amazon, and especially during Prime Day, you’re going to be served up an Amazon alternative. It’s only in the company’s best interest to use the event to run big deals on its own products.

Amazon is still a market, and it’s good for them when you buy anything, so if you end up going with a Samsung TV over an Amazon TV, that’s still a sale. That’s why you’ll still find plenty of deals throughout October Prime Day for non-Amazon devices. But Amazon products will be pushed the hardest and likely see the biggest discounts and promotions.

Still, don’t impulse buy

Eye-grabbing discounts and tempting product bundles aside, don’t buy an Amazon device just because it looks like a killer deal. If you are in the market for a specific Amazon-made product and it goes on sale, great. That’s a smart purchase. If you were more interested in a non-Amazon device but the Amazon version is now significantly cheaper, though, it’s not necessarily worth chasing value over getting the product you actually want to buy.

Take the time to research the difference between Amazon’s version and the competition. If you do find an Amazon device you want to buy, you can set alerts to be notified when the product hits the price you’re looking for. That’s good general advice for any Prime Day deal (or any big-ticket purchase), but considering how hard Amazon will be pushing its own products in October, it’s especially important to keep in mind. If you buy anything on Prime Day, I hope you get deals on the best devices for you, whether Amazon made them or not.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.

Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding Lifehacker as a preferred source for tech news.

At its fall hardware event today, Amazon announced a new lineup of Kindle Scribe devices, less than a year after the release of the second generation of its writeable e-reader. All three of the devices sport a new design with smaller bezels and a larger 11-inch screen, but the key takeaway is that the same display tech that powers the Kindle Colorsoft is coming to the digital notebook—along with a hefty price tag.

Three new Kindle Scribes are on the way

At the event, Amazon revealed plans for an overhauled Scribe lineup that includes three different devices: The standard Kindle Scribe (starting at $499) with front light and the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft (starting at $629) will both be available later this year, while a third version without lighting (starting at $429) will arrive “early” in 2026. None of them are available for pre-order just yet.

Given Amazon launched the Kindle Colorsoft e-reader last year, it’s unsurprising they are bringing their best-in-class color screen stack to the Scribe—though competitors like Boox have offered color digital notebooks for years. (The $530 Boox Note Air 4C is currently my pick for the best all-around digital notebook for most people.) But I find the addition of a Scribe without a front light to be a tad confusing: While it’s true that adding a lighting layer puts additional distance between the tip of the stylus and the inner display, which can make the writing experience feel less “paper-like,” the 2024 Kindle Scribe (with a great front light) already performs extremely well in that regard. Honestly, I’m surprised Amazon thinks there is a large enough market for a version without lighting, especially given the fact that, at $429, it costs more than the current model with lighting.

A new design and new features

Amazon promises that these Scribes offer an improved experience, whether you opt for color or not: In a press release, the company touts a new front light system with more uniform lighting, new textured glass that feels better to write on, a new display stack that reduces the distance between the outer glass and inner display, plus a faster processor and more memory.

The three Scribes all look the same, save for different colored bezels; gone is the offset chunky bezel of the current generation, replaced with thinner, uniform bezels on all four sides of the screen. Without a case, they’ll weigh in 400g, 34g lighter than the older model.

It’s hard to say what all that means in terms of practical use—for example, Amazon touts that the new Scribe is “40% faster for writing and page turns,” but Kindle page turns are already lightning fast, and as I noted when I reviewed the 2024 Scribe earlier this year, that model already had a great writing experience. The jury is out on whether these updates justify the price increase, whether you’re upgrading or buying for the first time.

Hardware aside, Amazon also talked up software changes, including a redesigned home screen that puts your notes front and center, Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive integrations, AI-powered search for your notes, and a forthcoming “Send to Alexa+” feature that will allow you to converse with the paid version of Amazon’s digital assistant about the contents of your notebooks. As yet, it’s unclear if previous models will get the new software.

Pricier than the competition

Without having gone hands-on with the new Scribes, I can say that all these changes sound great—but those prices, oof. Amazon didn’t clarify whether tariffs were a factor, but even given the larger screen (11 inches versus 10.2 inches on the 2024 model), the apparent $100 price jump for the black-and-white Scribe is significant (granted, it’s currently unclear how much storage that will get you, but Amazon does note the device “starts” at $499, while the 2024 model is priced at $399 for 16GB of storage and goes up from there). And again, the forthcoming model with no front light costs more than the current generation with a light (and a storage boost to 32GB, for that matter).

With a starting price of $629, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is $100 more than the Boox Note Air 4C, and the latter can do a lot more, given it isn’t tied to Amazon’s restrictive ecosystem—Boox devices run on an open version of Android with access to the full Google Play store, meaning you can download your preferred reading and productivity apps, rather than restrict yourself to Amazon’s OS. The Kindle will likely offer a better writing experience and Amazon’s typically frictionless user experience, but when it comes to a pricey tool like this, that’s only part of the equation.

Get a deal on a 2024 Kindle Scribe

If you aren’t sold on the promised changes and don’t care about color note-taking, it’s not a bad time to buy last year’s version of the Kindle Scribe: In advance of October Prime Day, it’s currently on sale starting at $299 for 16GB of storage—though I’d probably opt for the limited time bundle with a cover and an upgrade to 64GB of storage for $372.