ICYMI: The 7 biggest tech news stories of the week, from the massive Windows outage to the new Amazon Echo Spot
This week seemed like it was going to be a quieter one thanks to Amazon Prime Day deals taking up most of the airwaves instead of our usual deluge of tech announcements — and then it all went wrong.
We’ve seen a chaotic Windows outage seemingly caused by a security software update that caused massive problems for all sorts of services worldwide. As of this writing on Friday, it’s not over yet. While we hope it’s over by the time you read this, there could still be issues.
In case you missed this or any of the other big stories, we’ve got this handy tech news roundup to get you up to speed.
7. The world came to a standstill due to the mother of all IT failures
On Friday, cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike redefined the definition of a “bad day at the office” when it caused a global IT meltdown with a single faulty update to its Windows hosts. The result was the “blue screen of death” for thousands of Windows machines around the world, grounding planes, taking TV stations offline, and throwing banks, stores, and health care services into chaos.
While a fix was implemented quickly, the ripple effects could last for days or even weeks, according to some cybersecurity experts. That’s because many Windows machines are stuck in a recovery boot loop, causing a backlog in industries like courier services. While that all sounds pretty bad, it also made us wonder how much worse it could have been.
The Samsung Galaxy Ring wasn’t revealed until July 10, but pre-orders on Samsung’s online store were so popular when they opened that the tech giant had run out of rings by July 15, and third-party retailers reported that supplies were dwindling. That’s a lot of rings, and it tells us that Samsung’s first foray into smart rings – which could have been a big gamble – is shaping up to be an unmitigated success.
Samsung has since replenished its stock, so pre-orders are back and flowing, according to all reports. But expect to see a lot of Galaxy Rings out in the wild soon, and we’re betting a Galaxy Ring 2 is already in early development based on these encouraging sales numbers.
5. We reviewed the Amazon Echo Spot
After surprise launching it just ahead of Prime Day 2024 – and giving it a significant discount – we’ve passed along our verdict on the Echo Spot to our Lifestyle Editor-in-Chief, Josephine Watson.
The Echo Spot itself looks great with its modern redesign, excelling more as a smart alarm clock than a full-fledged smart display. The screen itself gets bright and vibrant enough, but lacks strong side-to-side viewing angles, and the fact that you can add custom watch faces is useful and ultimately quite nice.
You can read our full review of Amazon’s latest Echo here and ultimately decide whether it’s the right one for you. After all, there are more than a few others to consider.
4. Major updates to Google Wallet were announced
During Google I/O 2024, Google hinted that its Wallet app on Android will soon look even more like the real thing, with new code discovered by Android Authority proving that you will soon be able to store more than just patent data and customer cards.
According to the leaked info, you can add your library card, student ID, and concert tickets, among other textual documentation, to your Wallet. The app could use AI to identify exactly what kind of document you’re trying to add.
Just don’t expect it to replace your real wallet entirely. A leaked Google Wallet disclaimer warns that scanned IDs are “not an official ID or a replacement for physical ID.” They might help you in an emergency, but you should try to remember to carry the real thing with you as usual.
3. Canon finally launched its first new cameras of 2024
It’s been a worryingly quiet year for Canon fans, but that all changed this week when the camera giant launched two new models: the new flagship Canon EOS R1 and the all-rounder EOS R5 Mark II.
Neither are exactly impulse buys, with the EOS R1 costing $6,299 / £6,999 / AU$10,999 (body only) and the EOS R5 Mark II not far behind at $4,499 / £4,499 / AU$6,699. But they do show off the latest Canon tech, including the new Dual Pixel Intelligent AF autofocus system and Eye Control AF.
Are they enough to dissuade Canon fans from switching to Sony or Nikon? Read our Canon EOS R5 Mark II hands-on review and EOS R1 first impressions to find out.
2. The Apple Watch’s new Vitals app is Apple’s reinvention of its sleep tracking
Apple’s new watchOS 11 features are now in public beta, and early adopters are getting a look at the latest features coming to their Apple Watches. The Vitals app is a new health tool that monitors your heart rate, wrist temperature, sleep duration, and blood oxygen levels, alerting you to any significant deviations from the norm.
The only problem? To get the full benefits of the Vitals app, it has to be worn while you sleep, Dr. Sumbul Desai, Apple’s vice president of health, said in an interview with CNet. And to wear it, you’ll need to make the most of that 18-hour battery life and time your charges right. Does this mean we’ll see a bigger battery in the Apple Watch 10?
1. Netflix lost its VR app, but got a much better alternative
This week, Meta Quest 3 users finally said goodbye to the outdated Netflix VR app – attempting to use the service results in a playback error – but it’s not all bad news. The new Quest browser-based Netflix experience is better than the app ever was.
We tested it out and found that the resolution has been significantly improved (now 1080p/full HD instead of just 480p/SD) and that there are new browser tools, such as the ability to bend your virtual windows, dim your surroundings, and watch in mixed reality or in your VR home environment, so you’ll never miss the Netflix VR app again.
The Meta Quest 3 still lags behind the Apple Vision Pro when it comes to support for streaming services in VR (most of the best streaming services are still missing), but this preview is a big step in the right direction, and we hope it’s a sign of more support to come.