BTTR Roundup #55: Is nudity-blocking software the best way to protect your kids?

I think this week's Roundup is the biggest one I've ever done. A lot was happening this week, from Google's new Pixel phones to HMD's nudity-blocking Fuse smartphone to the launch of Ninja's new ice cream appliance.

For paid subscribers, I dive into some of the implications of HMD's HarmBlock+ nudity blocking software. It's a complex topic coming at a complex time, and while I'm hugely impressed by the technology itself, I do worry about the implications of it. I fear that parents will rely on it to do the job of parenting for them, rather than leverage it as a tool to help them parent. But more on that below

With Father's Day just around the corner, I've also shared a handful of deals this week. Let me know if you get your Dad something cool.

Until next week

–Nick

This week's new tech news

You may think the biggest news this week was the launch of the new Google phones, or maybe HMD's nudity-blocking Fuse smartphone.

Nope. The biggest news is Ninja launching the Creami Swirl in Australia.

• With over 8,000 people on a waitlist to hear when this appliance released in Australia, the Ninja Swirl by Creami is, frankly, one of the most exciting pieces of tech this decade. Building on the previous Creami appliances, the Swirl lets you create and serve soft-serve ice cream at home effortlessly. There are 13 one-touch programs, including six soft-serve options, allowing you to create healthy and nutritious sorbets, frozen yoghurts and ice creams. If your social feed is anything like mine this week, you're watching the most delicious (and nutritious) soft-serve ice cream get poured over and over again. It's available now for $549.99 RRP. [Ninja | Buy at Amazon]
• Okay, I may have gone a little bit nuts for the Swirl. Google's new Pixel phones were also big news this week, though if you have a bit of a dislike for AI (like me), then the only exciting addition was MagSafe Pixelsnap, or Google's version of Qi2's magnetic wireless charging. [Google]
  • The Pixel 10 Pro comes in three flavours: Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL. For the first time, the entry-level model gets a triple camera array on the back, while the Pro and Pro XL both get better image stabilisation. With the Qi2, only the Pro XL gets 25W fast charging; the others are 15W, and they all come with better screens and faster processors than last year's models. Pricing starts at $1,349 for the 128GB Pixel 10, $1,699 for the 128GB 10 Pro and $1,999 for the 256GB 10 Pro XL.
  • Google also unveiled the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which gets a big upgrade to durability. It's now IP68 rated, which isn't normal in a folding phone. It's nowhere near as thin as the Galaxy Z Fold7, but it does have better cameras, display and battery life compared to the last Pixel Fold model. It also has the magnetic Qi2 wireless charging, though only at 15W. It will hit stores on 9 October, with an RRP of $2,699 for 128GB.
  • On the accessories front, Google also announced the Pixel Watch 4. It'll come in 41 and 45 mm sizes and start at $579 and $679 for the Wi-Fi version, respectively. Compared to the Pixel 3, the bezel is about 16% smaller, it uses Gorilla Glass 5 and is designed to let you talk to Gemini through it like a proper Dick Tracy watch*. On the fitness front, it will track 40 exercises automatically, and use AI to recommend personalised fitness routines and sleep goals.
  • And finally, there are the Pixel Buds 2a. IP54 rated, these promise better noise cancellation than the original Pixel Buds Pro, and give you hands-free Gemini access, if you're into that kind of thing. Price is $239, hitting shelves October 9.
• I'm going to dive more deeply into this for paid subscribers below (go on and upgrade!), but HMD somewhat trumped Google's big announcements by having a much more interesting announcement today as well. The HMD Fuse is a somewhat middle-of-the-park smartphone with one key trick up its sleeve: it uses AI at the OS level to detect and block nudity on a phone. Designed as a phone for kids, the Fuse has a Snapdragon 4 Gen 2, 128GB storage and a 5,000 mAh battery (That's the same processor as last year's $499 HMD Fusion, for those playing at home). But its real selling point is the HarmBlock+ software that somewhat impressively blacks out the screen if it detects any nudity. It also scans files on the device and will remove anything featuring nudity. There are some real questions about whether this is a useful tool or an excuse for parents to outsource responsibility to technology, but the Fuse itself costs $799, though you'll only get a one-year subscription to HarmBlock+ with that purchase, and it costs $26.95/month after that. [HMD]
• Samsung dropped its Galaxy Buds3 FE this week. They promise six hours of playback in the buds themselves with ANC on (or 8.5 hours with it switched off), and up to 24 (ANC) or 30 (ANC off) hours with the bonus charge in the case. They're IP54 rated and have the same blade stem design as the Buds 3 models from last year. Plus, they give you immediate access to AI features like translation. Priced at $249, they land in Australia on September 26. [Samsung]
• Is it surprising to anyone else that Sony, a company with decades of experience in audio excellence, is only now diving headfirst into PC gaming accessories? This week, we saw a range of PC peripherals announced, all arriving in October:
  • The INZONE H9 II is built around the driver unit in the WH-1000XM6 headphones, weighs as little as 260 grams without the mic and offers a 30-hour battery life. RRP $499.95.
  • For anyone who prefers in-ear headphones, the new INZONE E9 are tuned for FPS games and have a choice of noise-isolation or hybrid tips, in 4 sizes. RRP $209.95.
  • With its 8000 Hz polling rate and gasket mount cushions, the INZONE KBD-H75 gaming keyboard has a compact 75% layout and is made from machine-aluminium, which is probably all-important for anyone serious about their PC gaming. RRP $469.95
  • Weighing just 48.4 grams, the INZONE Mouse-A gaming mouse is designed for fast, responsive gaming thanks to 8,000 Hz polling and an optical switch. RRP $269.95
  • INZONE Mat-D gaming mousepad... Yep, it's an expensive mouse pad. RRP $74.95.
  • INZONE Mat-F gaming mousepad... An even more expensive mousepad. It is a couple of mm thicker, though. RRP $129.95.
  • INZONE H3 black is a new colour option for the existing H3 headset. That's not really that exciting, sorry. RRP $149.95.
• Life360 added a new feature to its family-tracking app this week. No Show alerts will let you know if your loved one doesn't get to where they were supposed to be by the time they were supposed to be there. You'll get a heads-up when something goes off track, so you don't have to hover over your phone with worry. [Life 360]
• Look, I typically don't spend too much time covering video games here at BTTR, but even I stood up and took notice of the Xbox announcements out of Gamescom this week. There were a lot, including the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launch trailer and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle DLC. But they were both overshadowed by the revelation of a new Lego Batman game:

• Also from Gamescom, Xbox and ASUS confirmed that the new ROG Xbox Ally gaming handhelds are set to arrive in Australia on October 16, and will let you access games from a range of store fronts. The ROG Xbox Ally X model will also get some AI upgrades next year to boost resolution and and automatically captured highlight reels from your gaming. [Xbox]
• Apple has increased the price of Apple TV+ from $12.99 / month to $15.99 / month. This comes right after Netflix increasing its prices. The only small ray of light with Apple's announcement is that if you subscribe to Apple One, its all-inclusive subscription that includes Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple TV+, Apple Fitness, Apple News+ and a bunch of storage, your price won't change. This time. But let's be honest, that price increase is like Thanos: Inevitable. [Apple]
• Withings has confirmed it is launching its new health multi-tool, the BeamO in Australia on 15 September. The BeamO is a four-in-one health tool, working as a thermometer, electrocardiogram, oximeter, and stethoscope all in one sleek little device. It supports up to eight users and should give a fairly comprehensive health check in 60 seconds. It'll cost $499 when it launches, and I should have a full review in the not too distant future.
• Oclean has launched a few new toothbrushes in the past year, but the Flow Sonic looks like the best balance between price and performance so far. You get an IPX7 toothbrush with Oclean's maglev motor that vibrates at 76,000 times a minute and a 180 day battery life for just $100 RRP. It's discounted right now to $50 as well, which makes it actually pretty good value. [Oclean | On Sale at Shaver Shop]
• Look, it's definitely a niche product, but Laser's $299 retro gaming projector, that lets you play 80 officially licensed retro games on a 120-inch screen is still cool. I can't see a list of what those 80 games are, but the projector also promises to play NES, SNES, Mega Drive, SEGA Genesis, N64, Gameboy, GBA, Atari and SNK ROMs (though the legality of doing so is something to be wary of). It comes with a pair of controllers, and if you get bored of retro games, you can also use it for Netflix. [Laser]
• Telstra has a new 4th generation smart Modem, which adds Wi-Fi 7 support and offers 5G fallback if your internet goes down. But there are some weird, arbitrary limitations, like 5G speeds capped at 25Mbps and no support for Wi-Fi 7's 6GHz band. Given this modem still costs $240, you may be better served by a third party product or a dedicated mesh system. [Telstra]

*I'm actually surprised, in this age of Hollywood reboots and restarts, that we haven't seen a proper reimagining of Dick Tracy, given how today's smartwatch is an even more advanced version of his two-way communication watch first imagined in 1946. If you have never heard of Dick Tracy, I am jealous of your youth.

This week's review

I love Ghost’s vision for the web, but its ActivityPub integration has one glaring drawback

It’s been almost two weeks since I updated to Ghost 6.0, and so far it’s been great. But it could be even better with one simple change.

BTTR ReviewsNick Broughall

This week's guide

Do your AirPods stop playing music from your phone every time you open a link on your Mac? Here’s how to stop that

Multi-point pairing is really great when you want it, but extremely frustrating when it interrupts you mid-song because of some stupid pop-up video.

BTTR ReviewsNick Broughall

New products at BTTR HQ this week

There were a few new products delivered this week, but a couple of them are still under embargo, so I can't share them just yet!

Some Father's Day deals worth checking out

Look, if someone wanted to get me a Father's Day gift, I'd be very open to receiving the new Ninja Swirl by Creami.

But seeing as how (most of) you aren't my kids, that's probably not going to happen. So here are some discounted gift ideas for your Dad. Thank me later.

• Reolink has a sale on a range of its products, both on its own store and at Amazon. My top picks:
  • The Argus PT Ultra with Solar panel is 31% off
  • The Reolink Wi-Fi doorbell is 20% off at Amazon
• It's probably not really a Father's Day gift, but if you pre-order the new Pixel 10 Pro XL at Vodafone you'll get a free PS5. I'm not sure if there's a real reason for the promo, but it certainly grabbed my attention!
• Roborock has discounts on a bunch of its robot vacuums. Not that any dad really wants a robot vacuum for Father's Day, but if you're in the market anyway...
  • Qrevo Edge down to $1,999 from $2,799
  • Qrevo Edge C now $1,599 from $2,199
  • F25 wet & dry vac now $499 from $699
• Motorola has discounted some of its handsets for Father's Day:
  • The edge 60 Pro is $200 off (now $999)
  • The edge 60 Fusion is $100 off (now $599)