Forty-five millimeters is the size that finally makes Google’s round watch feel finished. The Wi-Fi Pixel Watch 4 in that case starts at $399, though the Moonstone Wi-Fi listing is now sitting nearer $280. The aluminum body is 12.3 mm thick and 36.7 grams without a band, so it sits low on the wrist instead of stacking like a hockey puck.

Actua 360 is the name Google gave the new panel, and the curve is the first thing you notice as you tilt your arm up. The 45mm watch’s AMOLED LTPO screen measures approximately 1.4 inches and has a resolution of 456 by 456 pixels and a decent 320 ppi. The peak brightness is also impressive, peaking at 3,000 nits, allowing you to read that split time in full sunlight without difficulty. Then there’s the always-on mode, which can only manage one nit for nighttime viewing.

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Bezels have shrunk by 16% compared to last year’s watch, implying that active area has increased by around 10% within the same 45mm circle. As a lovely touch, the entire device is wrapped in some high-quality 3D Gorilla Glass 5. To top it all off, the 45mm model features IP68 and 5ATM ratings, giving you complete piece of mind that your Actua 360 is fully prepared for showers, pools, accidental dips, and anything else.

Battery longevity is perhaps the single most important reason to choose this size over the 41mm model. We’re talking official estimates of 40 hours even with the always-on display turned on full blast, and an impressive 72 hours in Battery Saver mode. Reviewers who left the screen on all day lasted between 36 and 47 hours, while one user’s lasted 56 hours despite using the workout and sleep tracking features frequently. If your battery runs out, simply put it into the new side Quick Charge station, which is the third one they’ve built in four years. It charges swiftly, roughly 50% in 15 minutes and a full charge in about an hour. If you neglected to charge your device last night, a mere 15 minutes on the dock will carry you through the day.

Wear OS 6 powers the new watch, which has received a great nice facelift thanks to Material 3 Expressive. That means larger tap targets, clearer tiles, and watch faces that make better use of the extra screen, rather than floating in a dark ring like they used to. If you have the Gemini assistant on your wrist, you can wake her up with a raise-to-talk gesture, though it still creeps up on you from time to time. Quick replies are useful for those short texts, and let’s be honest: the Fitbit still handles the health stack like a pro, with over 40 exercise modes, improved automatic workout detection, dual frequency GPS for very clean run and hike traces, an ECG, blood oxygen, skin temperature, and even overnight sleep scoring. If you choose the LTE model, you will also receive satellite SOS for emergencies while you are far from the main path. Wi-Fi-only devices, on the other hand, can do without the radio.

The real news is that it’s repairable. Google designed the shell to allow you to remove the screen and battery without damaging the wearable, and they even sell the components on iFixit. Don’t worry, attempting to do it yourself will not violate your warranty. That’s unusual for a flagship wearable, so there must be some satisfied developers out there.

Under the hood, you’ll find the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2, a Cortex-M55 coprocessor, 2GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage, which should keep Wear OS running smoothly. Connectivity options include Bluetooth 6, dual-band Wi-Fi, NFC, and ultra-wideband, covering all bases for payments, keys, and phone pairing. Keep in mind that you’ll need Android 11 or newer on your phone.

Homebrew package manager version 7.0.0 has been released with a built-in vulnerability scanner, stronger security controls, and the full release of its native BrewUI graphical interface.

The open-source package manager is primarily used on macOS, allowing users to install software in a similar way to Linux package managers by automatically downloading packages and resolving and installing their dependencies.

The popularity of the project is obvious from its 49k stars and 11k forks on GitHub and from threat actors frequently targeting it to push info-stealer malware, including through clone sites and ClickFix lures.

In the latest version, the BrewUI official native graphical interface available on macOS 26 “Tahoe” and later makes it easy to browse and search for packages, as well as inspect and manage their dependencies.

Users can now use the vulnerability scanner through a new command (brew vulns). Also included is a Homebrew-specific advisory database that tracks vulnerabilities affecting the formula versions and revisions distributed by Homebrew.

Homebrew manages “casks,” which are used to install graphical applications, fonts, plugins, and other macOS software, and formulae, which are Ruby-based package definitions that can instruct Homebrew to download files, run build commands, or install dependencies.

Homebrew 7.0.0 adds a scanning command that can check installed formulae, a specific one, or formulae and their dependencies declared in a Brewfile.

For each formula, Homebrew determines the upstream software repository and its version/tag, while for installed packages, it uses information from the available SBOM or derives the source from the formula definition.

The command sends the upstream repository and version/tag to OSV.dev in a batch query, retrieves the vulnerability records, verifies potential matches, applies optional severity filters, and finally checks whether Homebrew has already applied a security patch to this formula.

Separately, Homebrew’s new advisory database publishes OSV-format records documenting vulnerabilities affecting Homebrew formula versions and revisions, including fixes that have been backported without changing the upstream software version.

“Homebrew publishes advisory findings in the formula API and a downloadable advisory index, helping other tools distinguish outstanding vulnerabilities from fixes already shipped,” the project team explains.

“The database’s OSV-format records are freely reusable under CC0, giving security teams a shared source of Homebrew-specific vulnerability data.”

Users also get better sandboxing in Homebrew 7.0.0 as access to users’ home directories is blocked by default and network-enabled dependency downloads are separated from offline installation.

Homebrew also notes that installations and upgrades are faster in the new release, thanks to a new ability to download, prepare, and install packages concurrently.

Join Mikko Hyppönen and security leaders from the NFL, CHANEL, and Atlassian for a two-hour digital summit on what AI-speed attacks change, what defenders should stop doing, and how to validate, decide, fix, and re-validate at machine speed.

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DEEP Robotics sent its Lynx M20 into a stretch of red desert in early September and the machine kept moving across loose sand and rising slopes that usually stall ordinary wheeled platforms. Footage released as “Conquering the Red Desert” shows the compact wheel-legged quadruped rolling on firmer patches, then lifting individual limbs and shifting its body to stay level as the ground turns powdery and the grade steepens.

Hangzhou engineers designed the Lynx M20’s mid-size platform around a hybrid drivetrain that allows it to roll most of the time for increased speed and energy economy, but then locks the wheels so its legs can take over for significant climbing or stance-changing. A clever trick allows the front legs to fold forward and the rear legs to fold back, reducing both its height and length to the point where it can squeeze through openings only 50 centimeters wide, and because the active joints act as shock absorbers, the chassis remains rock steady even when three wheels are on the ground and the fourth wheel is up in the air, allowing it to get over a rock or a sandy dune.

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The Lynx M20 stands 820 by 430 by 570 millimeters tall and weighs 33 kilograms with its battery. It can carry a 15-kilogram payload at work and a 50-kilogram peak load. On its own, it can run for three hours and 15 kilometers before needing to be recharged, but adding a 15-kilogram weight reduces that to 2.5 hours and 12 kilometers. The good thing is that you can simply replace the battery pack without shutting down the robot. In laboratory experiments, it can achieve a speed of 5 meters per second, but in real-world use, you can expect to see around half that, or roughly two meters per second. Lynx claims it can handle slopes up to 45 degrees, continuous stairs of 25 cm, and single obstacles up to 80 centimeters high.

Two LiDAR systems, each capable of outputting 96 lines of data, provide the Lynx with a 360-degree view of its surroundings, allowing it to map them in real time at 860,000 points per second. Dual cameras and front and rear lighting provide additional capabilities, such as color vision and nite vision. On the inside, dual octa-core computers aggregate all of that data to provide the Lynx with a 3D picture of where it is and where it is heading, owing to live point cloud mapping. To top it all off, the Lynx is sealed to IP66 standards, allowing it to endure the elements. You can even upgrade its software over-the-air and stream live footage back to the operator via a radio link.

Sand that would bury a typical rover will just slide right by thanks to the Lynx’s unique adaptive stride. Lynx initially dispatched a crew to work in Tibet’s Serling Tso reserve, where soft meadows, permafrost, and gravel made for a harsh environment at an elevation of 4700 meters. More recently, the upgraded M20S model has been deployed to patrol the Tengger Desert, carrying a continuous payload of 35 kg.

The engineers improved the new version’s sealing to IP67, cold tolerance to -30C, and lab speed to 9 meters per second. Despite surface temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius and the occasional blast of grit in the face, the M20S has been able to carry all of its equipment, including tree markers, water, and tools, in a single trip, and has even done so with a dual-light gimbal pointing out any signs of collapsed vegetation, damaged fencing, or wildlife lurking in the darkness.

The takeaway: After months of rumors and leaks, Valve has finally launched its standalone VR headset, complete with pricing and shipping details. At nearly twice the cost of Meta’s similarly specced Quest 3, the Steam Frame’s value leans heavily on Valve’s software stack and its support for a fully open Arm Linux desktop experience.

Customers interested in Valve’s new headset can register for a reservation lottery, which closes on September 17 at 1 PM ET. The Steam Frame is available at $1,059 for a basic kit with 256GB of internal storage or $1,299 for a 1TB premium model.

Valve will randomize the list once sign-ups end, with the first purchase invitations going out on September 18. Both configurations ship with two controllers and Valve’s dedicated 6GHz wireless adapter, along with a free copy of Half-Life: Alyx, which Valve has rebuilt as a native Arm64 version that runs standalone on the headset.

Valve’s own power supply costs $29 extra, though the Steam Frame also works with the Steam Deck charger or any compatible USB-C supply. Meanwhile, a $59 ergonomic accessory kit includes controller hand straps, a headset top strap, and an extended light blocker that seals the gap at the nose.

Like the similarly priced Steam Machine, the Steam Frame is likely a victim of the RAM shortages caused by the AI data center buildout. Rising supply costs also prompted Qualcomm to hike prices for its processors at the beginning of this month.

As Valve previously confirmed, the Steam Frame packs a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, a 2160 x 2160 LCD panel per eye behind custom pancake lenses, refresh rates up to 120Hz with an experimental 144Hz mode, and monochrome exterior cameras.

The hardware doesn’t appear to be a transformative upgrade over the $600 Meta Quest 3 or $450 Quest 3S; its main advantages are a larger memory pool, a microSD card slot for expanded storage, eye tracking, more controller inputs, and a potentially larger software library.

While the Quest headsets more or less lock users into Meta’s software ecosystem with PC streaming as a bonus, Valve’s alternative supports Steam games via streaming or standalone play using multiple compatibility layers.

An initial list of games verified for local installation includes VR titles such as Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, Superhot VR, and Pistol Whip. Meanwhile, traditional games like Hollow Knight: Silksong, Hades II, Balatro, Portal 2, and Cuphead also run well on a virtual screen. Users can boot out of Steam into a fully unlocked Arm64 Linux desktop environment to install PC and even potentially Android apps.

Official videos walking users through the initial setup leaked late last month, and the YouTube channel ShortCircuit accidentally uploaded first-impression videos early over the weekend.

While Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was onstage at the All-In Summit on Monday morning in Los Angeles, he got a phone call that he couldn’t send to voicemail — it was from President Donald Trump.

“I’m onstage with the besties,” Huang told Trump, referring to the venture capitalists who host the podcast All-In, including tech investors Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis, and White House advisers David Friedberg and David Sacks.

In a move that will spark night terrors for public relations professionals everywhere, Huang flaunted his comfort with the president by putting Trump on speaker for conference attendees to hear.

Apple could be planning a family of foldable phones in the next few years, building on its newly announced iPhone Duo, according to one tipster.

Trusted Apple leaker Mark Gurman of Bloomberg predicts that Apple will eventually sell more than the basic foldable iPhone Duo. In fact, he says Apple may have chosen the three-letter name Duo — similar to Air and Pro — because a short name “leaves room for a suffix” such as Max or Mini.

“It’s easy to foresee Apple launching an iPhone Duo Max with a larger display, or perhaps an iPhone Duo SE or iPhone Duo mini as either a stripped-down version or a clamshell model,” he writes.

Gurman, who wrote about the iPhone Duo in March 2026, predicts in his latest Power On newsletter that “foldables will make up the majority of new phone sales” in the next decade. He suggests that the iPhone Duo will become the predominant foldable phone on the market next year.

The biggest issue with such predictions is that they depend entirely on consumer demand, which is tough to foresee. Recently, Apple was rumored to be working on a cheaper version of its Apple Vision Pro AR headset, but it is said to have pivoted to smart glasses instead. And analyst Gene Munster long predicted the release of an Apple HDTV, but now says, “just because Apple is working on a product doesn’t mean it will see the light of day.”

Yet, Gurman says that the iPhone Duo, which can be preordered beginning Oct. 16 ahead of an Oct. 23 release, “has gotten it right from day one.” At $2,000 and up, though, the iPhone Duo costs around twice as much as most single-screen flagship phones, and is unlikely to replace them any time soon.

The Apple iPhone Duo was announced last week, but the company’s first foldable phone still trails competitors by many years. Samsung’s Galaxy Fold was released in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senior editor Ty Pendlebury has been reviewing TVs and home entertainment for CNET since 2006. He has a cat named after one of the best TVs ever made.

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Dual has a new home in the United States.

Playback Distribution announced that it is now the exclusive U.S. distributor for Dual turntables, giving the German brand access to Playback’s network of specialty audio dealers and, more importantly, a more focused path into a North American vinyl market that has become considerably more crowded.

On its own, another distribution agreement would not have us racing toward the keyboard. The more interesting part is what Dual is bringing with it.

The company’s current lineup spans manual and fully automatic turntables, belt and direct-drive designs, and increasingly serious products aimed well beyond the entry-level vinyl customer. At the top end, Playback is already listing the Dual CS 718Q at $3,499, while the upcoming CS 629Q could be even more important because it revives something the turntable market largely abandoned: a genuinely ambitious fully automatic direct-drive deck.

Suddenly the distributor announcement has some teeth.

Why Dual Is Worth Watching Again

Dual has been building turntables for more than a century, but heritage only gets a company so far when dozens of brands are fighting for space in the same dealer showroom.

What makes the current Dual lineup more interesting is that it does not simply follow the prevailing audiophile formula of a belt, platter, tonearm and as little user convenience as possible.

Fully automatic operation remains an important part of the brand’s identity. Dual currently offers the CS 329, CS 429 and CS 529 as fully automatic designs, while its manual range includes the CS 418 and CS 518 alongside more sophisticated direct-drive models such as the CS 618Q and CS 718Q.

There are plenty of excellent manual turntables on the market. There are far fewer serious automatic models for listeners who would rather press a button than perform a small pre-flight ceremony every time they want to hear a record.

Vinyl playback is supposed to involve the listener. It does not have to involve a licensing exam.

Playback President Rob Standley clearly sees that distinction as part of the opportunity.

“DUAL has a rich history in turntable design, but what really stands out is the company’s ability to combine that heritage with modern engineering and features,” said Standley. “Their fully automatic models offer a unique value in the marketplace with a powerful combination of convenience and performance.”

That might sound like distributor language, but the market supports the broader point.

The CS 629Q Changes the Conversation

We first encountered the Dual CS 629Q at High End Vienna 2026, where the company showed a prototype of its forthcoming fully automatic direct-drive turntable.

The concept immediately stood out because Dual was not trying to make another inexpensive automatic deck for casual vinyl users. The CS 629Q combines a newly developed direct-drive platform with fully automatic operation and app-based control, with Dual positioning it as a premium model for 2027. Our initial reporting indicated expected pricing around €1,800, although final U.S. pricing has not been announced.

Dual describes the CS 629Q as the first newly introduced fully automatic direct-drive turntable of the 21st century. That is the company’s claim, but it also illustrates why the product is unusual: automatic turntables certainly exist, and premium direct-drive turntables certainly exist, but combining both approaches at this level is decidedly uncommon.

There has also been tangible progress since Vienna.

The CS 629Q received FCC equipment authorization on August 17, 2026, covering its wireless functionality. The filing identifies Dual GmbH as the applicant and, rather conveniently given today’s announcement, lists Rob Standley and Playback Distribution as the U.S. non-technical contact.

FCC certification does not mean the CS 629Q is about to appear on dealer shelves next week. Dual continues to list the model as a 2027 preview, and our previous reporting pointed to global availability around mid-2027. It does mean the product has moved beyond the concept-on-a-turntable-stand phase and further along the path toward an actual U.S. release.

That makes Playback’s appointment rather timely.

And Then There Is the $3,499 CS 718Q

Dual does not have to wait until next year to demonstrate that it wants to compete above the mainstream market.

Playback Distribution is already listing the CS 718Q for $3,499 in satin black or walnut. It is Dual’s current reference manual design and uses a quartz-stabilized direct-drive motor with ironless air-core coils, 33, 45 and 78 rpm operation and specified wow and flutter below ±0.05% DIN weighted.

The 2.2-kilogram platter and mat assembly is joined by a twin-gimbal tonearm using a carbon-aluminum sandwich tube. Tonearm height and azimuth are adjustable, while an automatic lift and switchable auto-stop function add some convenience without turning the CS 718Q into a fully automatic deck.

Dual also provides both RCA and balanced XLR outputs, which immediately separates the CS 718Q from most conventional turntables in its price range. A cartridge is not supplied, giving owners the freedom to select one appropriate for the rest of their analog system.

At $3,499, nobody is going to confuse this with the Dual turntable that lived inside their parents’ console stereo.

Who Is Dual Competing With?

Pro-Ject is probably the most obvious competitor when it comes to modern automatic turntables. The German-built Automat A2 is a fully automatic belt-drive design with 33, 45 and 78 rpm operation, an aluminum platter and automated tonearm operation. Its $1,499 U.S. price also places it close to the territory where we expect the CS 629Q to compete, although Dual’s direct-drive architecture and app control give the forthcoming model a different technical proposition.

Thorens represents another obvious comparison. Its TD 102 A is fully automatic and combines belt drive with a carbon tonearm, Audio-Technica AT-VM95E cartridge and switchable phono preamplifier. Thorens also offers direct-drive models, although its current range separates those concepts rather than combining premium direct drive with full automation in one product.

Technics remains the elephant standing beside virtually every serious direct-drive turntable discussion. The SL-1500C combines a coreless direct-drive motor with an auto-lifter and integrated phono stage, but it is not fully automatic. That distinction gives Dual an opening if the CS 629Q can deliver the convenience it promises without compromising the things audiophiles actually care about.

And there is the challenge.

Automatic mechanisms have historically carried baggage with audiophiles, who often associate additional moving parts with cheaper decks and compromised performance. Dual has to demonstrate that convenience and serious vinyl playback are not mutually exclusive.

Its history suggests it understands the assignment. History, however, does not get to review the turntable.

Why Playback Distribution Matters

Playback already represents brands including TEAC and AVID HiFi, giving it experience selling turntables at very different ends of the market. Adding Dual creates another lane rather than simply duplicating what is already in the catalog.

Under the new agreement, Dual products are available in the United States exclusively through Playback Distribution’s authorized dealer network.

“DUAL has spent more than a century developing the art and engineering of the turntable,” said Dr. Josef Zellner, Owner of DUAL. “Our partnership with Playback Distribution represents an exciting new chapter for DUAL in the United States. Playback understands the specialty audio market and the importance of strong dealer relationships, and we look forward to building DUAL’s presence in the U.S. together.”

For Dual, that dealer component may prove almost as important as the products themselves. Turntables at $1,000, $2,000 and certainly $3,499 benefit from demonstrations, setup assistance, cartridge matching and a dealer who knows considerably more about analog playback than the person dropping a box on your porch.

What happens next will be more interesting.

The CS 718Q gives Playback a serious direct-drive flagship to sell today, while the CS 629Q gives Dual a product for 2027 that does not look like another variation on what everyone else is already doing.

That is a much better reason to pay attention than a new distributor.

Price & Availability

Dual turntables are now available in the United States exclusively through Playback Distribution’s network of authorized dealers.

The Dual CS 718Q is currently listed at $3,499 in satin black or walnut.

The upcoming Dual CS 629Q remains a 2027 product. Final U.S. pricing and an exact shipping date have not been announced.

For more information: dual.de

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