ICYMI: the 8 biggest tech stories of the week, from Oura’s new smart ring to the Pope’s take on AI | Daily Reports Online
As we draw towards the end of another week, it’s time to look back at the stories that shaped the technology landscape over the last seven days — collected here for your convenience in our regular In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) round-up.
A lot has happened, as is always the case. The Pope weighed in on the pros and cons of AI, we looked at new gadgets from Oura and GoPro, Sony showed off its latest TVs, and Fitbit users were less than happy at being forced to use the Google Health app.
Make yourself comfortable and join us as we take a tour through those stories and more. Once you’ve fully caught up, you’ll be ready for whatever the next week brings.
8. Oura revealed ‘the world’s smallest smart ring’
After much anticipation, the Oura Ring 5 is here, ready to claim the title of being the best smart ring on the market. Compared to the previous model, the new wearable is smaller, lighter, and more durable, while also offering extra battery life — you should be able to go for a week between charges (in our tests, the previous Oura Ring 4 lasted around six days).
There’s a lot more to talk about with this new device, too, including the redesigned portable charging case, real-time activity tracking, expanded support for women’s hormonal and reproductive health, and the ability to add lab results, such as blood test results, to your profile. We’ve got all the details here, including the price (which has gone up).
7. We spent a long weekend with GoPro Mission 1 Pro
The GoPro Mission 1 Pro is a camera that GoPro is hoping will appeal to more serious filmmakers and creatives (hence the Pro in the name), and those with more to spend: it comes with a 1-inch sensor that’s capable of recording in up to 8K video resolution, and a rugged design that keeps the camera waterproof up depths of to 66 feet (about 20 meters).
But is it actually any good? To find out, TechRadar’s intrepid Senior Staff Writer Hamish Hector took the camera on a long weekend of adventures, exposing it to high May temperatures, sandy beaches, a paddling trip, and more. The verdict is that this is a GoPro that mostly impresses, though several limitations are worth noting.
6. The Jony Ive-designed electric Ferrari got a roasting
The newly unveiled Ferrari Luce is the first electric car from the luxury sports car manufacturer, and it’s been designed in partnership with LoveFrom, the company headed by Jony Ive, formerly head of design at Apple. The big reveal of the car has led to a wave of responses online and off, and the majority of them are… not particularly positive.
Various commenters have compared the Luce to a Waymo robotaxi, suggested the design is “worse than I could have ever imagined”, and concluded that “Ferrari have absolutely and completely lost their minds.” Ouch. Don’t take their words for it, though — have a look at the aesthetics of the Luce for yourself (even if it’s unlikely that you can afford it).
5. The Pope warned us all about AI ‘dehumanization’
AI is the biggest talking point in tech at the moment, and Pope Leo XIV has now joined the chat. The Pontiff shared his thoughts on AI as part of his new encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas — an encyclical, a formal document published by the Vatican and traditionally used to address major moral or social issues, in case you were wondering.
It’s a long document, but if you want the short version, the Pope reckons that AI threatens to create “new forms of dehumanization”, and that its “opaque algorithms” are a worry for humanity and social justice. There are references to the Tower of Babel here, and a warning that AI could be the next folly to lead to disaster for humankind and our faith.
Social media platforms aren’t particularly pleasant places to be a lot of the time, so how do you feel about paying extra for them? Meta has announced that it’s rolling out monthly subscription options for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp — though at the moment, we haven’t heard much in the way of details about what you get in return for your money.
Whatever the new plans involve, TechRadar’s Editor at Large, Lance Ulanoff, thinks it’s a bad idea and that we should expect more and more features to become paywalled as time goes on.
Might end-to-end encryption in WhatsApp eventually become a WhatsApp Plus extra, for example? Or could we see restrictions on free users in terms of posting limits?
3. We reviewed ‘the most immersive Bond game in years’
When it comes to Bond video games, everyone thinks immediately of GoldenEye, and then… there’s not much else of note really. It looks like that’s going to change with the launch of 007 First Light from IO Interactive, which has been acclaimed by reviewers and gamers alike for bringing a high-quality, engaging experience to the Bond universe.
In our own review, which you can get to below, TechRadar Senior Editor Amelia Schwanke says: “007 First Light is perhaps the closest a game has ever come to making me feel like I’m starring in a Bond film… this stylish origin story still feels like a triumphant return for the most iconic secret agent.” The game is out now, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
2. Google outraged Fitbit fans again with new Health app
The Google Health app is now replacing the Fitbit app on Android and iOS, and the Fitbit community isn’t happy about it: the new app has been described as “atrocious”, “clunky”, and “unbelievably bad” across the internet, and there are widespread complaints about fitness data being logged incorrectly and Google’s AI coach being less than helpful.
There’s no going back, unfortunately, for those who much preferred the design and the flow of the now-replaced Fitbit app. Google has said it will be working on fixing bugs and adding new features to the Google Health app over the coming weeks, but it will take time for these negative user sentiments to be turned around.
1. We finally saw Sony’s first ‘True RGB’ TV in action
The arrival of new Sony TVs is always worth celebrating, and we’ve been taking a close-up look at the new Sony Bravia 9 II, Bravia 8 II, and Bravia 7 II models. These are the first ‘True RGB’ televisions from Sony, making use of an RGB mini-LED backlight: the tech promises an upgrade over mini-LED, through the way that the LCD backlight can adjust its colors.
There’s a lot more to know about these TV sets, too, including pricing, which you’ll find in the article below. Color range and viewing angles have been improved, as has the anti-reflective technology, and HDR performance is significantly better as well. We’ve also had time to check out the impressive Sony Bravia Theatre Trio speakers.
And why not test yourself on last week’s seven biggest tech stories to see how well you were paying attention? Take the quiz below.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.
