Windows 11 will be available (for some) on October 5th

It's Wednesday, September 01, 2021.

Microsoft has announced that Windows 11 will be available on October 5th as a free upgrade for qualifying Windows 10 systems, as well as on new PCs shipping after that date. But it isn’t for everyone; a gradual rollout will prioritize newer hardware and use "intelligence models" to determine who gets the upgrade first. Microsoft will apparently factor in reliability and device age. It could be the case that friends and family utterly disinterested in an OS update could be offered it ahead of anyone champing at the bit for the latest edition of Windows. Check out Engadget’s Devindra Hardawar's preview on what to expect from Windows 11.

All supporting machines will get the update by mid-2022, if you can think that far ahead. For those at the head of the line, you’ll still miss out on Android app support, which won't be available on launch. Microsoft plans to introduce the feature in a Windows Insider preview build sometime in the "coming months."

— Mat Smith

(Apologies to anyone that missed yesterday's edition of The Morning After. It was due to an editorial error.)

Apple's rumored iPhone satellite support may be for emergency calls and messages

But the service may not be ready for the next iPhone.

A rumored satellite feature for future iPhones is reserved for emergency uses only, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. A few days ago, another report said the next iPhones will come with support for Low Earth Orbit satellite calls and messages. Other sources said, however, that Apple is reportedly developing at least two emergency-related features relying on satellite networks.

The first feature, Emergency Message via Satellite, will be added as a third protocol, alongside iMessage and SMS, to the Messages app. Apple is also reportedly working on a second satellite feature for users to report crisis situations, like plane crashes and fires.

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Best Buy is now selling e-bikes and electric scooters

It’s online only at first.

You can now visit Best Buy’s website to purchase powered bicycles, as well as electric scooters and mopeds from brands like Unagi, Bird, Segway and SWFT. In October, Best Buy will begin stocking those same EVs in select stores across the US, including Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco. The company’s Geek Squad will even offer a $100 service where it comes to your house to adjust the brakes, seat height and handlebars for you.

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Polaroid's Now+ connected camera comes with five clip-on lens filters

The $150 snapper works with the redesigned Polaroid app.

Polaroid

Polaroid’s Now+ is a $150 analog camera with Bluetooth connectivity and five physical lens filters. It's the first time the company has included the latter out of the box. You can clip the filters on to the camera's lens to saturate or deepen the contrast of your photos or add new effects, like starburst, red vignette, and orange, blue and yellow colors.

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NVIDIA's latest tech makes AI voices more expressive and realistic

One new tool lets you record your own voice to train the tone of an AI voice

The voices on Amazon's Alexa, Google Assistant and other AI assistants are far ahead of old-school GPS devices, but they still lack the finer qualities that make speech sound, well, human. NVIDIA has unveiled new research and tools that can capture those natural speech qualities by letting you train the AI system with your own voice.

To improve its AI voice synthesis, NVIDIA’s text-to-speech research team developed a model called RAD-TTS. The system allows an individual to train a text-to-speech model with their own voice, including the pacing, tonality, timbre and more.

(Maybe it’s time to build an AI voice so I don’t have to record Engadget’s The Morning Edition podcast each day. Don’t tell anyone, OK?)

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South Korea will force Google and Apple to allow third-party payments

The bill could have global ramifications.

South Korea has today passed a law requiring major app stores to allow alternate payment methods. The bill, due to be rubber-stamped by President Moon Jae-in, forces platform holders to open up their stores, which will affect their lucrative commissions on digital sales. Apple and Google are facing lawsuits and regulator investigations in multiple countries, many focused on how their app stores operate.

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Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones have improved ANC and a familiar design

The new model also has better battery life and a lower price.

Finally, 2017’s QuietComfort 35 II headphones have a proper replacement: the QuietComfort 45. Bose says these headphones "maintain the hallmarks of their predecessor" when it comes to audio quality, comfort, reliable controls and more. The QC45 also keeps nearly the same design as the QC35 and QC35 II except for a few subtle changes — and a longer battery life estimated to be around 24 hours. At $329.95, they'll debut at a lower price than the previous two QuietComfort models.

The QuietComfort 45 headphones will be available in black and light gray on September 23rd. Pre-orders begin today at Amazon and Bose's website.

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Jabra's new feature-packed Elite 3 true wireless earbuds are only $80

Ambient sound, customizable settings and good battery life.

When it comes to true wireless earbuds, Jabra has continued to improve design, features and technology since the Elite 65t. But there was one thing it was still missing: a low-cost model for around $100. So say hello to the Elite 3: an $80 set of true wireless earbuds with more features than we’re used to seeing at this price.

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All the big news you might have missed

Twitch streamers are taking a day off to protest hate raids

#AppleToo starts publishing employees' toxic workplace stories

Jabra promises clearer calls with its Elite 7 Pro noise-canceling earbuds

Netgear's 5G mobile hotspot router with WiFi 6 is now available for $700

Amazon's Echo Show 5s are cheaper than ever starting at $45

Samsung's Galaxy Watch 4 gets an official walkie-talkie app

Punishing platformer 'Ghostrunner' adds accessibility mode