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Hello, are you awake? I miss you honey.
That’s the kind of immediately regrettable text that you can now recover in Android Messages. This week, Google announced a bunch of new features coming to your Android mobile platform, and perhaps the most useful of them is the ability to edit messages after you have sent them.
The update is by default from Google. Messages app, and it works pretty much the same way as editing option Functions in other messaging applications such as WhatsApp. Once a text message is sent, tap and hold the message, then when the menu appears, tap Edit. There, you’ll be able to correct your terrifying textual faux pas and help cultivate a world of clearer communication.
Courtesy of Google
There are a couple of caveats. You can only edit messages within 15 minutes of sending them (just like on WhatsApp) and once you do, a small fine print will appear next to the timestamp indicating that the message was edited. Of course, the recipient will still see all your embarrassing typos if they are prompted enough to see the message before you can change it.
He other android updates Google announced this week that it includes better smart home controls, the ability to switch between devices during a call, and more WearOS controls for devices like Google’s Pixel Watch.
Here’s some other news from around the world of consumer technology.
Car stuff refunds
Spotify says it will refund any of its users who purchased a Car Thing, the company’s first and only hardware device that launched in 2022. Spotify discontinued the car thing just a few months after its launch, and announced this month that it would be deactivating all devices by the end of 2024. The company initially said it would not offer replacements or refunds for the dash-mounted music streaming box, but later significant customer reaction, Spotify relented. Or at least it has softened its stance, although it hasn’t exactly guaranteed refunds for the $90 device. (Instead, the company says customers can Contact Customer Service and request a refund.)
Not a great look for Spotify, which is now facing a class action lawsuit from Car Thing users who are frustrated that the company decided to stop supporting the device entirely.
Amazon drones take off
Amazon’s drone delivery program had virtually crashed and burned in recent years as it has struggled with slow or failed deliveries and an inability to convince the Federal Aviation Administration to allow it to expand. But it’s possible that Everything Company’s drones could finally find new momentum, as the company says it has. successfully obtained FAA approval fly some drones out of the operator’s field of vision, which could significantly expand their operations.
Amazon’s quest to dominate delivery has led it to make some questionable ethical decisions, such as making it more complicated allowing users to opt out of Amazon Prime or making their employees work so hard they have to urinate in bottles.
Even with this green light for takeoff, there are still some issues that may keep drones on the ground, such as the fact that there may not even be much customer interest in the program, or the fact that the drones are having difficulty to fly on especially hot days.
Richard Mille gets an ace
Let’s be honest, collaborations between watch brands and celebrities are usually pointless. But you can’t fault what Richard Mille and Rafael Nadal have been doing for the last 14 years. The original RM 027, the pair’s collaboration that launched in 2010, began as it was destined to continue, showcasing increasingly audacious missions to become ever lighter, stronger, and just plain technically crazy. The RM 027 weighed less than 20 grams, while the RM 27-01 only weighed 18.83 grams. In 2015 a new case architecture arrived. The RM 27-03 2017 had 10,000 g of shock resistance. Then, in 2020, the RM 27-04 increased this shock resistance up to 12,000 gs.
The new Room 27-05 The battle for light weight continues: remove the straps and it weighs 11.5 grams. This is partly due to the monobloc shell made of Carbon TPT B.4, a material previously used in Formula 1 racing cars. Compared to normal Carbon TPT, B.4 is denser, the fibers are more rigid and the resin is about 30 percent harder. What does this mean? Thinner parts can be machined, thus achieving a weight reduction without losing rigidity. The manual movement inside has been reduced to also be lighter and is 0.6 millimeters thinner.
Finally, to check that everything was going well, the RM 27-05 was subjected to a series of tests that no watch should be subjected to: vertical and horizontal shocks and accelerations of 300 g. Yes, it’s limited to 80 pieces, but considering each one costs $1,150,000, Richard Mille should recoup the considerable development costs.
WIRED’s Jeremy White contributed to this RM 27-05 article.
