Google Has Given Us Our First Official Look at the Pixel 10

Google Has Given Us Our First Official Look at the Pixel 10

New devices are getting harder and harder for tech companies to keep under wraps, and after the base Pixel 10 saw new render leaks drop yesterday, followed by Pixel 10 Pro leaks this morning (both via Android Headlines), Google seems to have given up and decided to published a video of the Pixel 10 itself.

On a Google Store page for the Pixel 10, the company now shows a short sequence with the number 10 transforming into a Pixel camera bar, before zooming out to reveal the phone in its full glory. While the company didn’t say whether this is the base model or the pro model, the store page and URL only mentions “Pixel 10.” Still, the phone in the video does look a lot more like how the Pixel 10 Pro is rumored to look.

That’s a bit disappointing, since the base Pixel 10 is the one that’s set to be startly different from the last model. While the regular Pixel 10 is rumored to be getting a new telephoto lens (at the cost of some ultrawide fidelity), the (seeming) Pixel 10 Pro in Google’s video looks almost exactly like the Pixel 9 Pro. 

That means no lost features, but also probably merely incremental improvements. Still, there is one key takeaway here: That the leaks seem to have been right on the money for the Pixel 10 Pro means that leaks for the base Pixel 10, which have been corroborated by the same source as the 10 Pro’s leaks, might be correct as well. That’s big news, since it would seem to confirm that the regular Pixel 10 will indeed have an arguably worse camera system than its predecessor, depending on how important zoom is to you.

Regardless, it won’t take long to get rid of all the “maybes” here: The entire Pixel 10 portfolio is set to go on sale on August 20, after a stream showing the new devices off at 1 p.m. EST that day. Alongside the base Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro, Google is also expected to reveal a Pixel 10 Pro Fold and the Pixel Watch 4.



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This Ring Wireless Outdoor Camera Is at Its Lowest Price Ever Right Now

This Ring Wireless Outdoor Camera Is at Its Lowest Price Ever Right Now

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If you’re looking for a security camera that can be mounted almost anywhere without running wires through your walls, the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro (Battery) is one of the more flexible options available. And right now, this certified refurbished model is down to $118.99 on Amazon—its lowest recorded price, according to price trackers.

This is a battery-powered, wire-free outdoor camera that brings a mix of strong image quality, useful features, and an easy setup that doesn’t require any drilling unless you want to. The camera delivers crisp, full-color video even at night, thanks to dual motion-activated spotlights that help light the scene. As for the sound quality, it's surprisingly clear, and includes two-way talk if you want to speak to visitors. Plus, features like the 140° field of view, 3D Motion Detection, and Bird’s Eye View help you understand exactly where someone’s moving across your property. There’s also a siren built in, which you can trigger manually through the app if something feels off. All of this works over dual-band wifi, though weaker outdoor signals may cause a delay in notifications or footage.

That said, the camera uses a rechargeable battery, and while the Quick Release pack makes swaps easy, frequent activity can wear it down faster than you might expect. Also, some features like distinguishing between a person and a passing car require a Ring Home subscription. It costs extra, but it does give you cloud video storage for up to 180 days, smart alerts, and other perks. Without the plan, you’ll still get basic motion notifications and live view access. For under $120, this like-new model could be a smart pick if you want better outdoor monitoring without dealing with wires or complicated installs.



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I Made Chicken Cutlets in the Air Fryer and Compared Them to Pan-Fried Cutlets

I Made Chicken Cutlets in the Air Fryer and Compared Them to Pan-Fried Cutlets

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Sinking your teeth into a crispy fried chicken cutlet is an unparalleled joy. In fact, it’s so wonderful that reaching for each subsequent cutlet is easier and easier—at least it is for me. It’s a cruel joke that I can’t eat fried food as much as I want to. Too much oily food can lead to a rather unfortunate GI upset for me. (TMI? We’re all family here, right?) While this doesn’t put oil off the menu for me completely, I do have to get creative with using less oil. That’s where the air fryer has helped me win. I can still make crispy, crunchy chicken cutlets without the puddle of oil.

I use a basket air fryer to make these chicken cutlets—specifically, the Instant Vortex, which is one of my top air fryer picks for 2025. It's easy to use and heats food quickly and evenly; you can read more details about the Instant Vortex here in my review. Here’s how I make air fryer chicken cutlets with less oil than pan frying. 

How to make air fryer chicken cutlets

Regardless of if you’re shallow frying or air-frying, the preparation method is the same. You want to build a coating that sticks first. 

1. Dredge the chicken cutlets

If you bought thinly sliced cutlets, you’re ready to dredge. If you bought whole breasts, then you’ll want to slice them in half or in thirds equatorially to get wide flat cutlets. 

Set up your dredging station with a bowl of one or two scrambled up raw eggs, a bowl of seasoned flour (I just salt and pepper the flour most of the time), and a plate of bread crumbs. I used seasoned panko breadcrumbs today. Have a wire cooling rack over a baking sheet nearby. Knocking off the excess each time, cover each cutlet in flour first, then dip them in egg, then press the chicken into the panko breading. Lay the coated chicken flat on the wire rack and repeat with the rest of the cutlets. Allow the chicken to dry for about 15 minutes. This drying time helps the breading to stay put. 

2. Pre-heat the air fryer

Unlike a pool of oil in a frying pan, air fryers generally take fewer than three minutes to preheat. So you don’t really have to do this much in advance, just snap it on when you’re ready to cook. I used my Instant Vortex air fryer today and set it for 400°F. Since the cutlets are thin, my priority is to brown and crisp the breading because I know the higher temperature will cook the chicken quickly.  

3. Coat the chicken with oil

Air frying isn’t oil-free. At least, I don’t recommend skipping it. The idea is to get similar results to shallow frying in a pan, but without submerging it in oil. Without any oil at all, you’ll end up with dry chicken and the breading won’t brown or develop much flavor. However, just a thin coating of oil will change everything, leading to more even browning and crisping.

I use a non-aerosol oil sprayer and spritz in a zig-zag to cover most areas on one side of each cutlet. I’ll place the chicken oil-side down in the air fryer and then spritz the top side with oil. If you don’t have an oil sprayer, you can use a pastry brush and just daub some oil over the chicken. It’s okay if you miss some areas—the oil will work its way around a bit when it heats up. 

4. Air fry the cutlets

I air fry the chicken for a total of 10 to 12 minutes at 400°F depending on the thickness of the chicken. Keep in mind that air fryers only heat from the fan-side down, so you’ll probably have to flip the chicken halfway through the cooking time to brown the other side. 

5. Cool

Cooling is crucial for most meats, but especially crispy food. The last thing you want to do is leave the air-fried cutlets in the machine when the fan turns off. The fan throws hot air around but it also ejects the moisture from the cooking container. Once the engine turns off, all of the humidity will build up in the basket or oven and soften the crispy breading.

Take the chicken out immediately once it’s finished and let it cool on a wire cooling rack for at least five minutes. This will help the cutlets stay crispy on the outside.

Air frying really can reduce oil

A chicken cutlet frying in a pan.
Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

When you’re coating the cutlets with a spritz of oil you might have a moment where you think, Isn’t this the same as pan frying? It’s not. I prepared chicken cutlets using the air fryer method above, and the pan frying method using a half-inch of cooking oil so I could see and taste the results side by side. I used over a cup of cooking oil in the pan, and about half of it was absorbed by the chicken breading by the end. My air-fried cutlets used about two tablespoons of oil and I found some of it at the bottom of the air fryer basket at the end. 

Keep in mind that just because you put something in the air fryer doesn't automatically make it "healthier." Healthy looks different from person to person, but if your intention is to reduce oil use and still have a tasty, crispy cutlet, this is one way to do it for sure.

The downsides to air-fried chicken cutlets

Two chicken cutlets on a white plate.
Left: Shallow-fried chicken cutlet. Right: Air-fried chicken cutlet. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

Were both results the same in taste and presentation? No. Shallow fried chicken cutlets are undoubtedly the superior treat. They’re juicier, more flavorful, and the color is more even. 

However, air-fried chicken cutlets are equally as crispy—especially if you listen to my cooling instructions. For a better air-fried chicken cutlet experience, consider using chicken thighs. I know the point of a cutlet is that it’s thin and flat, but the risk of drying out is higher in an air fryer thanks to those convection winds. Starting with a juicier piece of chicken will help you achieve juicier results and you’ll still be avoiding excess oil.



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This Beats Pill Speaker Is on Sale for $90 Right Now

This Beats Pill Speaker Is on Sale for $90 Right Now

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Woot is an Amazon-owned website that specializes in daily discounts on some of the best tech brands in the market. Right now, they’re offering the matte black refurbished 2024 Beats Pill speaker for $90. If you’re looking for a sleek and durable Bluetooth speaker that packs a punch, this is a great option.

Combining a rugged build with a sleek cylindrical design, this speaker excels in outdoor settings. While it’s not as lightweight as some portable speakers, the sound quality is impressive for a model that weighs just 1.5 pounds, with PCMag vetting it as having a “bright sound with rich bass.” While it lacks flashy features like LED lighting and customizable sound, it’s a reliable option that earned the PCMag Editors’ Choice award for its performance and sound.

It’s ideal for Apple users since its compatible with that ecosystem, but performs equally well with Android devices. It has a 24-hour battery life with a quick-charge feature that gives you around 2 hours of playback off a 10-minute charge, and an IP67 rating make it suitable for outdoor setups, beach days, or pool hangs. USB-C audio allows playback from phones and laptops, and if you want more immersive sound, you can pair it with another Pill for stereo mode. It doesn’t offer multipoint connectivity or app EQ.

While it’s Grade A Refurbished (meaning minimal cosmetic damage and full functionality), it’s worth noting that this is a used item, so signs of wear are still possible. Woot also only ships within the 48 contiguous states and is free for Prime members, but costs $6 outside of those areas. Given the durability, price point, and 90-day warranty program, this is a solid premium speaker at a mid-range cost. 



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How to Sign Up for Early Access to Alexa+, Amazon’s More Advanced AI Assistant

How to Sign Up for Early Access to Alexa+, Amazon’s More Advanced AI Assistant

Earlier this year, Amazon announced Alexa+. It's not a streaming service—Amazon already has Prime Video for that—but the company's attempt to infuse new AI capabilities into its existing Alexa voice assistant.

If you've used Voice Mode on popular chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini, or even Grok, Alexa+ should seem familiar. The idea is to make the chatbot more intelligent and capable, as well as more casual to use. Amazon wants you to be able to ask the assistant more complex questions, such as for minute details about your schedule; follow up those questions with new queries within the context of the conversation; make requests you normally wouldn't with Alexa, such as ask the bot to book you concert tickets; and even send Alexa+ photos or documents, like other AI bots that support multimodal queries.

Does that mean the assistant is actually useful? It's tough to say. In theory, it should be: If you're entrenched in the Amazon ecosystem, having a smart assistant that can understand natural language could help with chores, work, and entertainment. While Lance Ulanoff of TechRadar loved it when reviewing it last month, plenty of other users have had mixed experiences—as you can see from this Reddit thread. Feedback like "I lost so much functionality I use daily, and I can’t stand every single voice option they have," and "I made it about 48 hours before turning it off" don't bode well for Amazon's new AI tool.

Amazon hasn't rolled out Alexa+ to all users yet. However, that doesn't mean you have to wait to try it. For the past few months, the company has been offering some users early access to the new AI assistant. Users who are selected can try out Alexa+ in its current form, and check out new features as Amazon rolls them out.

How to get early access to Alexa+

Here's the good news: If you buy or own an Echo Show 8, 10, 15, or 21, you're first in line to try out Alexa+. Amazon says all of your compatible Echo devices will be auto-enabled for Alexa+, so, really, it's a waiting game. Amazon will offering you Alexa+ whenever it decides to pick you.

If you don't have one of these devices, that's okay. Amazon has an official site where you can sign up to receive notifications about early access. Click the link, choose Sign in to continue, and follow the on-screen instructions to enroll. There's no telling when or if Amazon will choose your name out of the pile of applicants, but if it does, you'll get an alert about it from the company.

Alexa+ should be available on most Echo devices, Fire TV, Fire tablets, as well as the Alexa app. (Amazon also says there is alexa.com website coming soon.) However, the following devices will only support the original Alexa: Echo Dot 1st Gen, Echo 1st Gen, Echo Plus 1st Gen, Amazon Tap, Echo Show 1st Gen, Echo Show 2nd Gen, and Echo Spot 1st Gen. In addition, Alexa Built-in devices and Amazon Astro do not support Alexa+.

What does Alexa+ cost?

Signing up for and using Alexa+ in early access is 100% free. Whenever Amazon decides to end early access and publicly release Alexa+, it will remain free for Prime members. All others users will be warned that their Alexa+ use will continue at a $19.99 per month subscription cost. That's in line with other AI subscriptions, like CharGPT Plus, but, to me, it seems very steep—especially when Alexa+ has yet to prove itself.

If you don't feel like using Alexa+ any longer, you can manage your access here. You can also say, "Alexa, end early access" and you'll switch back to the original Alexa. (You can also ask Alexa to bring back early access at any time.)



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You Can Use DuckDuckGo to Remove AI Images From Your Search Results

You Can Use DuckDuckGo to Remove AI Images From Your Search Results

When I search for an image online, I'm usually either looking for a reference or for accurate, copyright-free material that I can throw into a project before I post or present it. AI images don't help me do either of those things. And on the off chance I do need an AI image, it's not hard to generate one myself using a custom prompt. So I can't think of a scenario where I'd want to see AI images in my search results. Luckily, it seems DuckDuckGo agrees with me.

The privacy-focused search engine and browser company recently announced a new feature for its Images tab that allows you to hide AI-generated images by default. While there are ways to hide AI from your Google searches, unless you install extensions, you have to go out of your way to use them every time you make a new search. With DuckDuckGo's solution, it's set-it-and-forget-it.

Just go to the DuckDuckGo website, enter your search, click on the Images tab, then in the settings toolbar below the search bar, click on AI images and choose Hide from the dropdown menu. DuckDuckGo will then remember your settings for all future searches. Alternately, click on the hamburger menu in the top-right corner, click on Settings under Search, and toggle on Hide AI-Generated Images. Or, you can just start your search from noai.duckduckgo.com.

The company does warn you that its "block list is not exhaustive," so a few AI-generated results might slip through the cracks, but I immediately noticed a big difference in my attempts. While searching for tabby kittens, I managed to cut a good four or five AI images off of the front page of results, including some with weird, cartoony proportions that wouldn't really help me if I just wanted to know what a baby tabby looks like. It wasn't quite as noticeable as the "baby peacock" example DuckDuckGo gave in its announcement, but it's welcome assurance that what I'm seeing is probably real.

DuckDuckGo says its block list for hiding AI generated images relies on open-source work, including the uBlockOrigin and uBlacklist Huge AI Blocklist. This is a manually curated list that targets 1,000+ sites known for posting AI generated content, so while it won't catch everything, it's a great start. It's also helpful in that it will even work if an image has not necessarily been watermarked as AI.

While having a built-in AI blocklist does make DuckDuckGo attractive for AI skeptics, it's worth noting that DuckDuckGo is not necessarily anti-AI, and in fact offers a few AI tools of its own. However, in its announcement for the new image filtering feature, DuckDuckGo said it is committed to making its forays into AI "private, useful, and optional."



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My Favorite Amazon Deal of the Day: The Sonos Ace Headphones

My Favorite Amazon Deal of the Day: The Sonos Ace Headphones

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You've probably heard of Sonos smart speakers and soundbars, which offer some of the best audio quality in the market. What you may not know, however, is that Sonos also makes the excellent Sonos Ace headphones, which were released last summer. Right now, they're on sale for $295 (originally $449), the lowest price they've ever been, according to price tracking tools.

The Sonos Ace are soft, comfortable, and adaptable to different head sizes, thanks to their plastic design. You get actual buttons to control the headphones (as opposed to touch controls), which I personally consider a huge plus. The battery life is impressive, with about 30 hours with either the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) or Aware Mode settings active, or about 40 hours with both of those off. The Bluetooth multipoint connectivity means you can connect up to two devices at once and switch seamlessly between them.

The headphones perform well, according to PCMag's "excellent" review. The sound is balanced with an EQ adjuster in the app, and the ANC and Aware Mode are top-tier, competing with the best headphones on the market. Unfortunately, the Sonos Ace aren't wifi-enabled, meaning you can't stream media into them like you can with Sonos speakers, but then again, not many headphones are. However, you can connect to Sonos speakers through Bluetooth and listen to your media that way (if you own Sonos speakers).

At their current price, the Sonos Ace are competitive with the best headphones for Apple users, the AirPods Max, and the best headphones for Android users, Sony's WH-1000XM6, and arguably, offer a better value since they're much cheaper. If you care about transparency mode or have Sonos speakers at home, the Sonos Ace headphones are your best choice.



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