Duolingo, the popular language learning app, has always offered fun and interactive ways to learn new languages. It has now added two new features that make it even more feature-packed. As part of its latest update, the app now includes Adventures and Video Calls.

Adventures is a game-like feature that allows you to explore different settings and storylines within the Duolingo universe. It features two characters, Lily and Oscar. Adventures is designed to help you improve your language skills by putting you in simulated real-world situations.

Currently, one adventure is available for each course unit. It is only accessible for English speakers learning French and Spanish speakers learning English. However, more languages will be added in the upcoming weeks and months.

Duolingo’s new video call feature uses artificial intelligence to help you practice your conversational skills in a realistic setting. As the title suggests, the feature lets you make a video call — in this case, to the Duolingo character Lily. You can converse just like you would with a real person, but in an environment without pressure.

Duolingo explains that “Video Call is designed to simulate natural dialogue and provides a personalized, interactive practice environment.” Some Duolingo users tell us the video call option is already showing up within the app, although there isn’t a sign of Adventures yet.

Finally, Duolingo has announced a new partnership with Loog, a manufacturer of portable instruments. As a result of this collaboration, a new three-octave electric piano compatible with the Duolingo Music course has been introduced. The device is priced at $249 and is currently available for preorder, with shipping scheduled to begin in November.

The iPhone 17 series was previously expected to adopt the under-panel camera technology for Face ID. However, a recent report from the Korean publication The Elec claims that Apple has delayed the application of the ‘Under-Panel Face ID’ technology. Reputed display industry analyst Ross Young from DSCC fame has already reversed his claim that Apple will have a phone with an under-panel camera in 2025. Sources from the Korean screen business now confirm that.

Will the foldable iPhone be the first to use the ‘Under-Panel Face ID technology?

According to The Elec Apple is waiting for at least two of its major display suppliers to master the under-panel camera technology. Only then, will the company start using the technology for its iPhones. Samsung and LG supply displays for Apple’s devices.

However, according to the report, none of the companies are near to producing display panels that can maintain reasonable visibility for the under-panel sensors that Apple expects. According to a previous report, Apple has delayed the launch of its foldable iPhone to 2027. It was also reported that the foldable iPhone may come with a ‘wrap-around design‘. However, the latest news is that a foldable iPhone with a Galaxy Z Flip design may arrive in 2026

For those unfamiliar, there have been Android devices for a while that utilize the under-panel camera technology. In fact, Samsung’s own book-style foldables, including the latest Galaxy Z Fold 6 use the under-panel camera tech to hide the 4 MP selfie camera under the large foldable AMOLED display. On one hand, it does not obstruct the view, while on the other, it lets you make video calls and take occasional selfies without having to switch to the external display. However, the clarity and overall image quality from the under-display camera is certainly much inferior as compared to the punch-hole selfie camera on the external display.

An industry insider noted, “Apple hasn’t even decided which model among the foldable product it’s currently preparing and the existing bar-type iPhone to apply the under-panel Face ID to first.”

Samsung is working with Canada’s OTI Lumionics to meet the requirements

The Elec also reports that Samsung is currently working with Canada’s OTI Lumionics to overcome the challenges and meet Apple’s expectations of the technology.

OTI Lumionics uses a fine metal mask (FMM) to pattern-deposit organic cathode patterning material (CPM) and then deposits the cathode with an open metal mask (OMM), avoiding the CPM. However, reports indicate that diffraction still occurs when the IR laser passes through the panel in the under-panel Face ID currently in development.

LG is also working on related technologies. The company has reportedly developed a ‘freeform optic’ lens to overcome some of the limitations of the existing UPC technology.

It has been less than a week since Apple released the AirPods 4, and there’s already a small sale available on them. Ahead of October Prime Day, you can pick up the AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation for $169, down from $179. The AirPods 4 without ANC are also $10 off, with an eight percent discount dropping their price to $119 from $129. The markdowns aren’t significant but could be the extra push you need if you’ve been sitting on the fence.

Apple announced the two AirPods 4 models at its iPhone 16 event on September 9. The fourth-generation AirPods with ANC garnered an 86 in our review, while the standard version fared a bit better with an 88. The ANC model has improved fit and sound quality and offers Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, and wireless charging. It also has perks like a speaker in the case that beeps when you activate Find My — though the AirPods only support proximity view, not precision finding like the AirPods Pro 2.

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The AirPods 4 without ANC share a big con with their sister device: no onboard volume controls. They also don’t have wireless charging or Conversation Awareness. What they do give you is a good, comfortable fit and much better sound quality than their predecessor. This model also offers Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, Voice Isolation and Adaptive EQ.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice in the lead up to October Prime Day 2024.

Mortgage fintech Mesa has emerged from stealth on Tuesday with $9.2 million in seed capital and a novel idea for homeowners. It’s offering cash back and rewards on all spending done on the home, including the mortgage itself. 

Mesa is offering mortgage loans, original or refinancing, that include a credit-card-style 1% cash back on the loan. 

In addition, Mesa is offering a points-rewards-type credit card geared toward homeowners. The card lets homeowners accrue points for paying their mortgage and for paying for homeowner-related services like HOA fees, utilities, repairs, home insurance, and day-to-day purchases like gas or groceries. 

This is a standard unsecured credit card, meaning it is not related to or secured by the home, and the card issuer partner is Celtic Bank. Card users don’t need to have originated a home loan with Mesa in order to get a card, and the card’s spending limit is determined by the credit history of the applicant. It also carries a typical hefty credit card annual percentage rate, currently in the 20-21% range.

“We’ve just taken what everybody loves about travel and dining cards to re-contextualize that for the homeowner/parent,” Mesa’s founder CEO Kelley Halpin tells TechCrunch. “So it’s not rewarding you on travel and dining spend; it’s rewarding you on gas, groceries, your HOA, utilities, home goods as well as your mortgage payment.”

True, a homeowner could already earn points on these types of expenses simply by paying with whatever rewards-style card they already have. But Mesa’s pitch is that it’s structuring the points to be more generous toward ordinary home-owning expenses. It plans to offer one point for each dollar when used to make the mortgage payment, 2x for gas and groceries, 3x for the home services category.

Similar to American Express’ rewards program, points can then be redeemed in a variety of ways, including cash back, gifts, travel booked through its travel portal, or to offset monthly mortgage payments.

In addition, Mesa says that it will eventually offer benefits to cardholders such as discounts to home improvement merchants on its network, or discounts to other items prized by the homeowner/parent set such as memberships to warehouse wholesalers like Costco.

“Homeowners will get access to premium benefits, including big box memberships, credits towards home maintenance,” Halpin says.

Mesa is bucking the trend of tackling the home mortgage market after this fintech sector got crushed by high interest rates. While Mesa was in the works before the Feds cut rates last week, venture investing into such fintechs has been hovering at its lowest levels in six years, according to Crunchbase data.

By going for loan origination and credit cards, Mesa is hedging its bets. It will make money from a mix of interchange fees, interest revenue, and affiliate revenue. For the mortgage product, it will generate revenue from lead generation to its financial partners. 

Still, it’s been a slow launch. Mesa would not share any user or revenue numbers, with Halpin saying its been operating on an “invite-only waitlist.” Now that it’s out of stealth, it plans to slowly alert people on its waitlist.

While one could argue that the market isn’t hurting for credit card options or mortgage referral services, Mesa’s founders have the kind of belief that comes from a combo of startup expertise and a fintech background. Halpin hailed from Uber during its startup years, then founded three startups and sold one (Quantivize Health) for an undisclosed sum. Co-founder Peyton Hayslette worked at a long string of fintech companies, most recently wellness credit card startup Paceline. Mesa currently employs 13 people, Halpin says. Their backgrounds include such companies as Robinhood, Block, Capital One, and American Express.

Mesa is building out its company with $7.2 million in new seed funding led by Streamlined Ventures with participation from Starting Line, Assurant Ventures, Vera Equity, and others. It has also received $2 million in venture debt from Silicon Valley Bank.