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The latest Google Lens update might bring Circle to Search to many more phones
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Google seemingly has plans to expand its Circle to Search feature to other Android phones via Google Lens. In a recent deep dive, news site Android Authority found clues to the update within the recent Google app betas files and compiled them all together. 

What’s particularly interesting is they managed to get the tool working on a smartphone, possibly hinting at an imminent release. According to the report, they even managed to get a popup notification informing users that the update would appear.

It tells people to hold down the home button to access Circle to Search, much like the experience on the Galaxy S24. Upon activation, a three-button navigation bar appears at the bottom, and an accompanying video shows the tool in action as it looks up highlighted portions of the Play Store on Google Search. The UI looks, unsurprisingly, similar to how it does on Galaxy phones, with search inquiries rising from the bottom.

Clashing with Gemini

You may notice that the rainbow filter animation is gone, having been replaced by a series of dots and lines. Well, that’s the old beta, and the newer version has the animation and the Translate button, which shows up in the lower right hand corner next to the search bar.

At a glance, it seems Circle to Search on Google Lens is close to launching, although it is still a work in progress with a few issues to iron out. For example, how will it work on a smartphone housing the Gemini app as holding down on the home button launches the chatbot? Google might give Circle to Search priority in this instance, so long pressing opens the tool rather than the AI. However, at this point, it’s too early to tell.

New navigation option

Android Authority also found “XML files referring to pill-based gesture navigation.” If you don’t know what that is, it’s the oval at the bottom of Android displays. The shape lets you move between apps with basic gestures. Google Lens could offer this option, allowing users to ditch the three-button navigation bar, but it may not come out for a while as it doesn’t work in the betas.

Circle to Search on Google Lens will most likely stick to the three buttons, though. The original report has a theory about this, as they believe implementing the pill navigation would systemic OTA (over-the-air) updates to millions upon millions of Android smartphones, which may or “may not be feasible.” So, to get Circle to Search out sooner to people, the navigation option will have to be pushed back a bit. The three-button solution is easier to implement.

There is no word on when the update will arrive, but we hope it’s soon, as it is a great feature and currently a highlight for the Galaxy and Pixel devices that have it. 

While you're here, be sure to check out TechRadar's list of the best Android phones for 2024.

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The new Sonos app just leaked – and it might just fix the S2 app’s many problems
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Audio brand Sonos may soon completely redesign its S2 app by making it easier to set up its devices as well as “strengthen connectivity between its many speakers.” It’ll also introduce several new customization options. This nugget of information comes from TheVerge which claims to have received screenshots of the revamp from sources close to the matter. 

According to the report, the company is removing all the navigation tabs at the bottom, replacing tabs with a search bar to help soundbar owners find music quickly. The home screen will serve as a central hub consisting of “scrollable carousels” housing playlists and direct access to streaming services. 

Of course, you will be allowed to customize the layout to your liking. You can tweak the settings of a soundbar through the “Your System” section on the app.

The Now Playing screen will see revisions as well. Both the shuffle and repeat buttons are going to be present on the page. Plus, the volume slider in the mini-player will appear “no matter where you are in the app.” 

Love it or hate it

For some people on the internet, this update has been a long time coming. The Verge shared links to posts from the Sonos subreddit of people complaining about how terrible the S2 app is. One of the more passionate rants talks about the software’s poor functionality, as the Redditor was unable to turn off their speaker’s alarms remotely despite it being connected. 

Most of the reviews on app stores are positive, however several users on the Google Play Store listing do complain about an unintuitive UI and strange connection problems. People either love S2 or they hate it. There doesn’t seem to be any real middle ground. 

The Verge states the S2 update will roll out for Android and iOS on May 7th although the date could change. 

Future plans

It’s worth mentioning that this isn’t the first time we’ve heard about the redesign.

Back in February, Bloomberg published a report detailing some of Sonos’ plans for 2024, such as their focus on a “revamped mobile app codenamed Passport.” At a glance, it appears Passport is the future S2 upgrade. Originally, the update was supposed to come in March, but the brand ran into development issues and were forced to delay it.

Bloomberg’s piece goes on to mention two new Sonos devices, codenamed Duke and Disco. The latter is said to be a set of earbuds able to connect to Wi-Fi. It’s supposed to be a Sonos take on Apple Airpods. 

Not much is known about the Duke, but it does share a name with a pair of Sonos headphones that were discovered back in late March on the Bluetooth SIG website. 91Mobiles dug through the page revealing the device could allow music streaming over Wi-Fi, it’s slated for a June launch, and should cost $ 450. These next couple of months are looking to be a busy time for Sonos. But as always, take the info in this leak with a grain of salt.

Until we learn more, check out TechRadar's list of the best soundbars for 2024.

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A Meta Quest 3 bug has made the headset unusable for many, but a fix is coming
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If you've managed to avoid Meta Quest 3 update v62 you might want to keep it uninstalled for a while longer. That’s because some users who have downloaded the update, which was released last month, have been plagued by an annoying warning popup telling them there’s dust or debris in their USB port, when this isn’t the case.

What makes this popup especially annoying is that even if you try to dismiss the erroneous warning it’ll reappear again and again, leaving the headset feeling “essentially worthless” according to some disgruntled Meta Quest 3 customers.

It’s not clear what's causing the issue – I haven’t seen the popup at all, and I’ve been using my Quest 3 every single day for my VR fitness experiment, and anecdotal accounts from social media suggest that even if two people are using the headset in similar ways, one may see the popup while the other doesn't. But now there’s some potentially good news from Meta.

The Meta Quest 3 and controllers on their charging station which is itself on a wooden desk next to a lamp

We suggest only using official Quest 3 chargers (Image credit: Meta)

On the main Meta Community Forum page where people have been sharing their experiences, an official Meta Quest Support moderator has shared an update saying “Issue Replicated. Fix In Progress.”

While this is great news for the many Quest 3 users annoyed by the bogus USB-C port warning, the moderator stressed that the team doesn’t yet have a timeline for when a fix will be available – just that they've been able to replicate the issue, and have started to test possible solutions.

This vagueness has resulted in undertandable annoyance amongst those affected – especially those who have been having troubles with the warning message for over six weeks since v62 rolled out. In the forum thread linked above, we’ve seen people threatening to never buy Meta VR tech ever again, recommending that people file chargebacks on the credit card they bought the headset with, and generally venting their frustrations with the issue.

If you’re in this boat, is there anything you can do?

What can you do to avoid the Quest 3 bug? 

The Meta Quest 3 resting on a blue couch with its controllers on a blanket

Can the bug be avoided? (Image credit: Meta)

As we said above, because there’s no obvious cause for this issue it’s tough for us to recommend what you can do to avoid it. The main piece of advice we can give is not to update to v62 if you haven’t already. 

If you've already updated to v62, based on what we've seen on the community thread we’d suggest only using the official Meta Quest 3 charging cable with your headset, as some people have suggested that third-party cables have been a cause of their problems. We’d also recommend using for headset for standalone experiences rather than wired ones to avoid setting off the popup.

If the popup is appearing for you, however, then there doesn’t appear to be much you can do beyond trying to push through it. We’ve seen some people say it only appears when their headset is 80-100% charged – so you might have success if you don't fully recharge your Quest 3 between sessions – and some people have said rebooting their device caused it to go away (though others have said it had zero effect).

Unfortunately, these are the best solutions we can come up with until Meta releases a proper update, so hopefully one isn’t too far away – although given the vagueness of the timeline Meta has offered, who knows how long we'll be waiting.

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Vision Pro arrival dates are getting delayed leaving many frustrated
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Pre-orders of Apple’s Vision Pro are supposed to ship out on February 2; however several reports have appeared online claiming there’s going to be a sizable delay.

People have flocked to Reddit and X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) with screenshots of their orders now having an arrival period of February 29 to March 7. That week is commonly seen among the buyers experiencing the delay, but it’s not uniform across the board with others claiming different dates. A user on X says their unit has been pushed back to February 15 while another on Reddit says Apple’s “phone system” told them the headset won’t ship out until March 14. 

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It’s also been reported that Apple is contacting people about the shipping date pushback. A comment on the Vision Pro subreddit states they received a text from the company informing them of the shipping delay.

The setback seems to be primarily happening to two configurations of the headset: the 256GB and 1TB storage models. There hasn't been any news or screenshots showing that the 512GB Vision Pro is seeing similar delays; although we wouldn’t be surprised if it too was getting pushed back. It’s hard to say for sure as there is a lot of chaos surrounding this situation. People are understandably frustrated, plus Apple has yet to make a public statement about the new shipping dates.

To be fair, the dates are estimated delivery times. It’s entirely possible the headsets will arrive on time or the delay won’t be as extreme. In a worst-case scenario, early adopters may have to wait until the dust settles to get their hands on the headset. Or they can go onto eBay and deal with the many, many Vision Pro scalpers.

Prioritizing stores 

It’s unknown exactly what is causing the delay. A prevailing theory being thrown around in online circles is Apple’s recent decision to stock more in-store inventory in preparation for the big day. It argues that the tech giant is choosing to prioritize in-store purchases resulting in a limited amount of headsets for pre-orders. Commenters have said their in-store pickup orders of the Vision Pro are completely fine. They can go to an Apple Store and grab their device without issue. 

That could be one reason, but again, nothing can be said with total confidence due to all the conflicting information. 

So, we reached out to Apple asking if they could provide any details regarding the Vision Pro delay. Will people receive their orders on time or will they have to wait over a month? This story will be updated if we hear back.

For those planning to pick up a Vision Pro on day one with a pre-order, good luck. Industry insider Mark Gurman says some stores “are anticipating little to no day one availability for non-pre orders”, according to his sources.

There are plenty of great headsets out there if you can't get your hands on Apple's latest tech. Check out TechRadar's list of the best VR headsets for 2024 if you want recommendations.

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Windows 11 is getting a voice-powered ability many users have been longing for, as Microsoft kills off Windows Speech Recognition for the far superior Voice Access tech
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Windows 11 has a new preview build which further improves Voice Access, an area Microsoft has been putting a lot of effort into of late.

Preview build 22635.2915 (KB5033456) has just been rolled out to the Beta channel, and one of the additions is the ability to make customized voice shortcuts.

Using this feature, you can specify a trigger phrase for the command, and then the command itself.

Microsoft gives an example of an ‘insert work address’ command which when given automatically pastes in the specified address of your workplace. Anytime you need that putting into a document you’re working on, you just say the command – which is quite the timesaver.

Language support for Voice Access has also been extended, and now the following are included (on top of the existing languages): French (France), French (Canada), German, Spanish (Spain) and Spanish (Mexico).

Finally for voice features, multiple monitors are now supported, meaning that when you summon a grid overlay – for directing mouse clicks to certain areas of the desktop – you can do so on any of the screens connected to your PC. (Before now, the grid overlay could only be used on the primary display).

You can switch your focus to another monitor simply by using a letter (A, B, C and so on) or its phonetic equivalent (Alpha, Bravo, etc).

Microsoft further notes that there’s a drag and drop feature to move files or shortcuts from one display to another.

Elsewhere in build 22635, screen casting in Windows 11 has been improved, with a help option now in the Cast flyout from Quick Settings. This can be clicked if you’re having trouble piping your desktop to another screen and want some troubleshooting advice.

Users are also getting the ability to rename their device for the Nearby Sharing feature to help identify it more easily.

For the full list of changes and fixes in this Beta build, peruse Microsoft’s blog post.

Voice Access shortcuts

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Analysis: Custom capers

This is some useful work with Voice Access, and those with multiple monitors who use the feature will of course be very pleased, no doubt. Voice shortcuts is a powerful addition into the mix for voice functionality, too, and with this, there are a good deal of options.

Not just pasting a section of text as we mention in the example above, but also tasks can be triggered such as opening specified URLs in a browser, or opening a file or folder. You can combine multiple actions too, along with functions like mouse clicks or key presses. This is a feature we’ve been wanting for some time, so it’s great to see it arrive.

It’s also worth noting that Windows Speech Recognition has been removed from Windows 11 in this build, and when you open that old app, you’ll now get a message informing you of its deprecation, and recommending the far superior Voice Access capability instead.

We’re hoping that in the future, Voice Access is going to become an even more central part of the Windows 11 interface, and it seems a great candidate to be driven forward with AI – and maybe incorporated into Copilot.

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