Check out our guide to the best mirrorless cameras and dive deep into all of WIRED’s camera coverage.
the unnameable
Twitter can be a nightmare even if not sabotaged by a bored and horny billionaire. But luckily you can now remove yourself from some of the toxicity that thrives on the social media service.
On Monday, Twitter announced a new feature called don’t mention. This will allow you to remove yourself from conversations, meaning confabs you don’t want to be involved in won’t show up in your notifications. If someone is @ you and you’d rather not read all the bad talk from them and their followers, just tap the three dots in the corner of the tweet and select “Leave this Conversation.” It will tag you and happily set you free from all the rabid reactions that are indirectly lured to you. Twitter says the feature is available to everyone on the platform.
It will be a boon to Bean Dads everywhere.
Android 13 gets a final beta update
On Wednesday, the latest beta update to Android 13 was rolled out to developers, allowing app makers to make a few more tweaks to make sure their programs work on the mobile operating system. It is the final release for the beta version. The next step for the Android 13 roadmap is a final launch sometime this fall.
There are a ton of new features coming with Android 13, including major updates focused on privacy and productivity settings like app grouping and individual language support for apps. There’s also a plethora of new visual customization options and better support for large screens.
BMW bets big on booty Burners
Hey, do you like it when your ass is warm? Cool – that’s $18, please.
That’s the deal BMW is offering to customers in a few countries, including South Korea, Germany and the UK. Customers can pay to unlock features in BMW vehicles, which activates 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 already pay for a BMW, right? What are some more subscriptions to keep your high beams on or use cruise control?
After Jalopnik broke the news about the implementation of these microtransactions, BMW released a statement clarifying some of the details. The company said it currently has no plans to bring these charges to the US, but it is currently offering the options in South Korea, the UK, Germany, South Africa and New Zealand.
It’s a growing trend; Tesla has been charging subscriptions and unlocking fees for years, and GM has launched a similar program to provide software upgrades. Welcome to the future.
blowing smoke
Last month, the FDA gave what appeared to be a death blow to e-cigarette manufacturer Juul. It ordered the company to stop selling its controversial vape sticks in the US, which would effectively end the company’s domination of the vape market. Juul fought back and a judge overturned the order. Now the company is embroiled in a legal battle that could determine the state of the nicotine industry. But even as Juul is drawing its last breath, competitors are coming in to claim the vape crown.
On this week’s episode of the Gadget Lab podcast, WIRED senior writer Arielle Pardes joins the show for a talk about Juul, public health, and the future of tech nicotine products.
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