Check out our guide to the best mirrorless cameras and dive deep into all of WIRED’s camera coverage.
The Unmentionables
Twitter can be a nightmarish dumpster fire even when it’s not being sabotaged by a bored and horny billionaire. But luckily, you can now remove yourself from some of the toxicity that is rampant on social media.
On Monday, Twitter announced a new feature called Not mentioning. It lets you opt out of conversations, meaning confabs you don’t want to join won’t pop up in your notifications. If you’re someone @ and you’d rather not read all the angry rants from them and their followers, just tap the three dots in the corner of the tweet and select “Leave this conversation.” It will unmark you and leave you blessed without any harsh responses directed at you indirectly. Twitter says the feature is available to everyone on the platform.
It will be a blessing to Bean Dads everywhere.
Android 13 is getting its final beta update
On Wednesday, the latest Android 13 beta update was released to developers, giving app makers the chance to complete a few more tweaks to ensure their apps work on the mobile operating system. This is the final beta release. All that’s next for the Android 13 roadmap is a final launch sometime this fall.
There are a bunch of new features coming with Android 13, including big updates focused on privacy and productivity settings like app grouping and support for individual languages for apps. There are also plenty of new visual customization options and better support for large screens.
BMW is betting big on booty burners
Hey, do you like it when your ass is warm? Cool—that’ll be $18, please.
It’s a deal BMW is offering to customers in several countries, including South Korea, Germany and the UK. Customers can pay to unlock features in BMW vehicles, activating hardware components already built into the cars, such as the aforementioned heated seats. Other options include heated steering wheels and the ability to play engine sounds in your car. (Vroom Vroom!) You’re already paying for a BMW, aren’t you? What are a few more subscriptions to keep your high beams on or use cruise control?
After Jalopnik broke the news about the implementation of these microtransactions, BMW issued a statement clarifying some details. The company said it has no current plans to bring these charges to the US, but currently offers options in South Korea, the UK, Germany, South Africa and New Zealand.
It is a growing trend; Tesla has charged subscriptions and unlocking fees for years, and GM has launched a similar program to deliver software upgrades. Welcome to the future.
Blowing Smoke
Last month, the FDA dealt what appeared to be a death blow to e-cigarette maker Juul. He ordered the company to stop selling its controversial vape sticks in the US, effectively ending the company’s reign over the vape market. Juul fought back and the judge denied the order. Now the company finds itself embroiled in a legal battle that could shape the state of the nicotine industry. But even as the Juul may be drawing its last breath, competitors are moving in to claim the vape crown.
In this week’s episode Gadget Lab podcast, WIRED Senior Writer Arielle Pardes joins the show to talk about Juul, public health and the future of technology nicotine products.
Content
This content can also be viewed on the website from which it originates.
