Google Photos continues to get new and improved features on a regular basis, and one of the most recent Android updates has focused on video editing. Even if you don’t have the latest Pixel 9 phone (which is required if you want to try out the weird new Reimagine tool), you can now speed up, slow down, and enhance your clips with a few taps as well as trim them down more easily.
Technology
How to use the latest AI video editing tools in Google Photos
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You can also expect what Google calls “AI-powered video presets” on both the Android and iOS versions of Google Photos. After the app algorithm analyzes your clips, you get a choice of effects — trims, zooms, slow-mos — you can apply with a tap. The app takes the role of director and chooses where and how these tweaks should be applied.
When the changes arrive on your phone, you’ll also notice the interface is a little cleaner, with larger icons and bigger text that make it more obvious what you’re doing. The idea is it’s more straightforward than ever to quickly apply a few edits before sharing your clips, without having to open up a separate editor on your phone or computer.
Trim tool
First up, we have what Google describes as “improved controls” for cutting out extraneous footage at the start and end of your clips — though, to my eyes, there’s not a huge amount that’s different here compared to the previous version of the trim tool.
The handles at each end of the clip are a little bigger and thicker, making them easier to hit with a finger press. You also get a timestamp shown onscreen as you drag those handles around, so overall, the edits are a little easier to apply.
The trim tool shows up automatically as soon as you edit a video, and you can get back to it by tapping the Video button.
- Drag the left-hand handle to change where the video starts.
- Drag the right-hand handle to change the video’s end point.
- Drag the white bar between the two handles to move around the clip.
- Tap the play button at any point to check your new footage.
- Choose Save copy to confirm your changes and save a separate clip.
Auto-enhance tool
Google Photos now has a new auto-enhance feature you can access, which analyzes your clip and then applies its own choice of color enhancements, while stabilizing the video at the same time.
- Tap Video then Enhance to apply the automatic enhancements.
- Tap the play button to see how the updated footage looks.
- Tap Enhance again to see the difference with and without the tweaks.
- Choose Save copy to save the enhanced video as a separate file.
If you’d rather apply the video stabilization without the color enhancements, just tap Stabilize on the Video panel of tools instead.
Speed tool
The new speed tool in Google Photos gives you more control over the pace of your videos for speeding up and slowing down the action. The effect can be applied to a specific section of your clip or all of it.
- Tap Video and then Speed to bring up the editor.
- Use the bars on the timeline to indicate where you want the effect to start and stop.
- Choose a playback speed under the timeline: from 1/4 speed to 4x the speed.
- Tap the play button to see how the video now looks.
- Choose Done, then Save copy when you’re happy with the results, to save a separate video file.
It’s not the most advanced video editing effect you’ll ever see, but considering it only takes a couple of taps on your phone screen, you can get some impressive results from it.
Video presets
Unlike the tools above, which are exclusive to Android, the AI-powered video presets are available in Google Photos for both Android and iOS. Or at least, they will be eventually — though they were announced in September, as of this writing, I haven’t yet seen the presets in the Google Photos apps on either platform.
When they do appear, the Presets button will appear between Video and Crop in the options at the bottom of the interface. Select it, and you’ll see a choice of edits you can apply with a tap: Basic cut, Slow-mo, Zoom, and Track. These will be applied as the Google Photos AI sees fit based on the video content.
The example Google gives is a skateboard video, with the action trimmed right down to a key jump, which is also slowed down. Color enhancements are applied at the same time for good measure. As before, you can preview the changes, then tap Save copy to accept the changes and save a new video file, leaving the original untouched.
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Technology
Engwe Mapfour N1 Pro e-bike review: the new ‘premium’
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Europe has an electric bike problem. Direct-to-consumer e-bikes from inexpensive Chinese brands like Engwe and countless others can be easily purchased online despite openly flouting EU restrictions. They feature throttles and powerful motors that can be easily unlocked to far exceed the 25km/h (16mph) legal speed limit — no pedaling required.
Here in Amsterdam, cheap Super73-knockoffs ridden at almost twice the legal speed have made the city’s renowned bicycle lanes increasingly chaotic and dangerous. Across the Netherlands, over 10,000 of these electric “fat bikes” were seized in 2024.
Engwe’s new Mapfour lineup is the company’s attempt at going legit by expanding from souped-up electric fat bikes and foldables into “premium commuter” e-bikes. And because they’re the first e-bikes that Engwe has designed exclusively for European roads, the company swears they can’t be unlocked for more speed.
I’ve been riding the new Mapfour N1 Pro model for the last few weeks. It lists for €1,899 (almost $2,000), or €1,799 during the initial launch — a price that brings heightened expectations.
The N1 Pro is slathered in premium capabilities like GPS/GSM tracking for which some bike makers charge subscriptions. The monocoque frame and fork are made from carbon fiber supplied by Toray — “the same high-quality carbon fiber as Trek and Specialized,” claims Engwe. There’s even turn-by-turn navigation built into the full-featured app, a large colorful display integrated into the handlebars, and a built-in mechanical lock in the rear wheel hub that automatically engages when the bike is turned off and stationary.
My review bike was missing a fender bolt, occasionally flashed a strange error code, and the solar-powered rear light won’t turn on. Still, it’s likely the highest quality electric bike Engwe has ever made.
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$1714
The Good
- Looks and rides sporty
- Long list of features for price
- Removable battery
- Can’t be speed hacked
The Bad
- Strange error messages
- Servicing parts likely an issue
- Doesn’t support height range claimed
- Can’t be speed hacked
I have lots of experience with assembling direct-to-consumer e-bikes and the N1 Pro was ready to ride in about an hour, which is typical. Even with a carbon-fiber frame it weighs 20.1kg (44lbs) fully assembled according to my scale, which is heavy for an e-bike — just not Veloretti-heavy.
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In the box you’ll find a basic toolset that includes everything needed for assembly and instructions written in stellar English unlike some previous Engwe tutorials I’ve read. I had to assemble the pedals, front wheel, kickstand, handlebar, and fenders, and fish out a replacement fender bolt from some spare bicycle parts I had lying around. I then went to adjust the saddle to my height only to discover that I was too tall for the N1 Pro.
The saddle stem has a marked safety line that stops well before the height needed for my 6 foot (183cm) frame, despite being sold in the Netherlands where I’m considered a short king. Nevertheless, exceeding the line by about 2.5cm (one inch) hasn’t made the saddle feel insecure, even when riding over rough cobblestones. Engwe claims the N1 Pro supports riders from 165–190cm, and is considering offering the option for a longer saddle stem at checkout based upon my feedback.
The N1 Pro’s geometry puts the rider into what’s essentially a mountain bike stance: a moderate forward lean with hands spread wide out in front of the body. That wrist and body angle combined with a rather stiff saddle are not ideal for riding long distances, especially in combination with a backpack that’ll put even more weight on the hands and derrière. I do like that fun, sporty posture over short distances, but if you’re looking for a more relaxed ride then Engwe has the upright €1,399 MapFour N1 Air available in both step-over and step-through frames.
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The 250W mid-drive Ananda motor on the N1 Pro is nearly silent under the din of road noise, and the integrated torque sensor provides an intuitive pedal-assist at all speeds. It produces up to 80Nm of torque that lets me easily start from a dead stop in fourth gear (of seven) on flat roads, but testing on a hill with a gradient of about 15 percent required a start from first gear. Typically, I only needed to shift to a high gear when I wanted to use my leg power to propel the bike at speeds above the 25km/h motor cutoff.
Despite claiming a range of up to 100km from its modest 360Wh battery, my first test performed over a few weeks yielded just 23km off a full charge in near-freezing conditions. I usually rode in power setting three of five on mostly flat roads. The second test performed on a single warmer day improved the range to 27km with 28 percent charge remaining — or an estimated 36km if I had time to run the battery dry for a below average 10Wh consumed per kilometer travelled. The bike battery seems to suffer from idle battery drain of about 1-2 percent per day when parked inside my house.
Worrisome for a “premium” e-bike: on two occasions I saw an “09” error message flash on the display which Engwe is still diagnosing. Once, while starting the bike after it had been sitting outside in the rain for a few hours. Another time after riding home on a rain-soaked street while switching between the N1 Pro’s regular and high-beam lights. In the first case, a simple reboot cleared it and I was able to ride away fine, but the other time required riding home under my own power before it inexplicably cleared the next morning.
- The bike’s integrated display is readable in all lighting, and shows the remaining battery level, speed, power level, and even distance and direction of next turn if using the navigation built into the useful but overwrought Engwe app.
- I didn’t find Engwe’s turn-by-turn navigation very useful as the guidance presented on the display wasn’t informative or urgent enough for me to make confident decisions when traversing the dense network of crossroads in Amsterdam.
- It has a very loud alarm that can ward off thieves and help locate the e-bike in large parking garages.
- The daytime running lights are fun and help with visibility, but also dorky if you choose the animated options.
- The solar-powered rear light never worked on my review unit.
- Engwe provides a chain guard on shipping units.
- The hydraulic disc brakes from an unspecified vendor provide good controlled stops.
- Includes a 1-year warranty on electrical components, chassis, and battery.
1/19
There was a time when premium e-bikes had list prices around €2,000 / $2,000. Those days are as gone as the free venture capital propping up e-bike startups, pushing premium prices up to a starting price closer to €3,000 / $3,000. The Engwe N1 Pro is therefore priced about right. It’s not a bad e-bike, but it’s also not great despite checking off lots of features on a marketing sheet.
Just remember, servicing a direct-to-consumer e-bike can be a problem as it requires the ready availability of spare parts and the knowledge to replace them. As with any electric bike exposed to the elements and regular road use, the N1 Pro’s motor and any proprietary electronics like the controller, display, battery, lights, buttons, and integrated lock will eventually need servicing. So you’d better be on very good terms with your local bike shop or be handy with a wrench and oscilloscope to prevent your mail-order e-bike from quickly turning into e-waste.
Photography by Thomas Ricker / The Verge
Technology
Elon Musk’s SpaceX prepares for 8th Starship launch, pending FAA approval
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Elon Musk’s SpaceX is preparing to launch the eighth flight test of Starship from Boca Chica, Texas, which could blast off as soon as this Friday as long as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) gives its approval.
“Starship Flight 8 flies Friday,” Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, said in a post on X Sunday.
For the first time, the upcoming flight has a planned payload deployment and multiple experiments on re-entry geared toward returning the upper stage booster to the launch site to be caught.
The launch will also include the return and catch of the Super Heavy booster that will blast the rocket off the launchpad.
STARSHIP UPPER STAGE LOST ON SEVENTH TEST FLIGHT, DEBRIS SEEN SPEWING IN SKY
Starship Flight 7 launches from Starbase, Texas, before its upper stage was lost. (Associated Press)
During the flight test, Starship will deploy four Starlink simulators, which are about the same size as next-generation Starlink satellites, SpaceX said.
The Starlink simulators will be deployed in the same sub orbit as Starship and are expected to burn up upon re-entry.
While Starship is in space, SpaceX also plans to relight a single Raptor engine.
POWERFUL WEBB TELESCOPE SPIES SPECTACULAR STAR BIRTH CLUSTER BEYOND THE MILKY WAY
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Starship Flight 7 launches from Starbase, Texas. (Associated Press)
If all goes as planned, the launch window will open at 6:30 p.m. ET.
The launch comes more than a month after SpaceX launched Starship Flight 7 from the Starbase test site in Boca Chica, which resulted in Starship experiencing a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” nearly 12 minutes into the flight.
The Super Heavy booster descended back to Earth, where it maneuvered to the launch and catch tower arms at Starbase, resulting in the second ever successful catch of Super Heavy.
Starship, however, was not as successful.
MERGER OF MASSIVE BLACK HOLES FROM EARLY UNIVERSE UNCOVERED BY WEBB TELESCOPE, SCIENTISTS SAY
“Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly during its ascent burn,” SpaceX said in a statement Jan. 16. “Teams will continue to review data from today’s flight test to better understand root cause. With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s flight will help us improve Starship’s reliability.”
SpaceX has investigated what caused Starship to break apart, though the investigation remains open.
For Starship Flight 8 to blast off, the FAA must give its approval, which could come in a few ways.
In 2023, the FAA issued a five-year license to SpaceX for launches from Texas, which is revisited for every launch in case modifications need to be made for things like the trajectory of the rocket. The FAA could grant approval once mission specifics and license modifications are made, the FAA told Fox News Digital.
But also lingering is the open investigation into the Starship Flight 7 mishap. To fly again, the investigation needs to be closed, and the FAA must accept the findings. Specifically, the FAA weighs whether the incident put public safety at risk.
At the time of this writing, the investigation had not been closed, and the FAA had not given approval. Still, it is common for the approval to be issued a day or two before launch, the FAA noted.
SpaceX did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the matter.
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
Technology
Longer-lasting laptops: the modular hardware you can upgrade and repair yourself
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The goal, Patel says, is to continuously cycle through all of Framework’s actively supported laptops, updating each of them one at a time before looping back around and starting the process over again. Functionality-breaking problems and security fixes will take precedence, while additional features and user requests will be lower-priority.
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