Google’s Fitbit Charge 6 brings back the button and adds new features

Fitbit

Google might not ditch Fitbit after all, despite its recent troubles. According to 9to5Google, the company plans to release a Fitbit Charge 6 this year, which will restore the physical button. The new wearable will look very similar to the Charge 5, except for the button on the left side, sources tell the website. They also say that it will let you access YouTube Music and Google Maps from your wrist. You’ll need a Google account and a minimalist new app to use it, though.

Google’s Pixel 8 phones are expected to launch on October 4. We might also get a glimpse of the Fitbit Charge 6 around that time, even though it wasn’t mentioned in the event invitation.

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Google Voice adds spam text warnings

Google

Google Voice is introducing spam text warnings, a new feature that follows the Material You redesign earlier this year. The app already has "suspected spam caller warnings" for phone calls, and now it is extending that protection to SMS messages. 

You will see a red exclamation mark next to messages that are likely spam, and they will have two options: confirm the spam label or mark the message as not spam. This feature is rolling out to free and paid Google Voice users in the coming weeks.

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Threads gets quoting and notifications features from Meta

One of the Threads features missing at launch was the ability to quote other people’s posts, similar to a retweet on X/Twitter. Finally, you can quote posts by clicking on the repost icon at the bottom of a post and choosing the “Quote” option. It's available on desktop now. This allows you to add your own commentary to someone else’s thread.

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Apple seemingly confirms no USB-C restrictions for iPhone 15

Apple

Before Apple’s launch event, many people speculated that the iPhone 15 USB-C port would have some limitations, and only Apple-approved cables and accessories could use its full data transfer and charging capabilities. This would have been similar to the Lightning port in previous iPhone models, but a new report today says that Apple has indirectly confirmed that there are no such restrictions with the USB-C port in iPhone 15 models.

Arstechnica says the USB-C port in iPhone 15 models is completely standard, with no Apple certification requirements for cables or accessories. As evidence, it points out that Apple has updated the compatibility tables for existing Mac and iPad USB-C chargers and cables to state that they are also compatible with the iPhone 15.

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