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Twelve South has launched Airfly Drive, a small USB dongle that converts wired CarPlay connections into wireless ones. The device plugs into a car's USB-A or USB-C port, pairs once with a phone, and then reconnects automatically each time the car starts, with support for switching between two paired phones. It's available now for $39.99 in black or white, and also works with Android Auto.
Motorola and Google are investigating a bug that prevents Android Auto from placing outgoing calls when clamshell foldables like the Razr or Galaxy Z Flip are closed. Incoming calls still work fine, and the issue only affects calls initiated while the phone is folded shut. Users say the problem began after Gemini replaced Google Assistant, with reports spanning several months into September.
An Entrepreneur contributor argues traditional promotional social media posts—stock photos with a call-to-action—no longer engage today's audiences. The piece cites Get My Auto data showing car buyers now spend nearly two hours less researching online before purchasing, and notes rising adoption of Instagram, TikTok and Reddit among U.S. adults since 2021. The author contends businesses succeeding online now operate more like media companies producing authentic, behind-the-scenes content rather than polished ads.
Google confirmed that existing Chromebooks will keep receiving regular updates and security patches under its Auto Update policy through mid-2034. After that, newer commercial Chromebook models with 10-year update support extending past 2034 will be eligible to switch to the newly announced Googlebook OS, though Google says more migration details are coming soon.
Amazon's second-generation Echo Auto, a dongle bringing Alexa to cars without built-in smart infotainment, is now listed as 'Currently unavailable' on its product page with no restock date given. Reddit users first noticed the device had also disappeared from direct search results on Amazon.
Google Translate app teardown reveals an in-development "Auto-save transcript" toggle in Live Translate settings that would automatically store conversation transcripts on mobile without a manual save step. Code strings indicate this saving feature will be disabled entirely when the app is used through Android XR smart glasses. Separately, spotted UI changes would let users trigger translation on glasses via voice command and end sessions with a touchpad swipe.
Xtream Player has released version 1.7.50, adding Plex Live TV streaming and better movie/TV categorization for premium users, plus a full-screen mirror mode for the car display. The update also fixes M3U streaming bugs, improves YouTube playback quality, and resolves an issue where the ad-skip feature left videos stuck on a gray screen. According to Reddit comments, the new Plex Live TV feature is currently broken, though the developer says a fix is coming soon.
Amazon has built a Price History feature into its shopping interface, showing 30-, 90- and 365-day price trends for products via a button on desktop or a similar option in its app. The company's Alexa for Shopping AI assistant (formerly Rufus) can answer questions about pricing and, for eligible Prime members, automatically purchase an item once it reaches a set target price.
Reladraw is a newly released text-based diagramming language that lets users specify layouts by describing relative positions between elements—like 'above-left of' or 'right of'—rather than fixed coordinates or auto-generated layouts. It includes a browser-based editor where users edit source text on one side and see the rendered diagram update on the other, with no installation required. The project's syntax and an example architecture diagram are documented in its repository.
Elegoo is offering its Saturn 4 Ultra 16K resin 3D printer for $399, down from $649.99, as part of a limited-time Elegoo Day promotion. The printer features a 16K, 11,520 x 5,120 resolution LCD screen, an integrated vat heater, upgraded Wi-Fi, auto-bed leveling, and a built-in camera for monitoring prints.
Tisha Johnson, head of design at EV startup Slate Auto, leads styling of a pickup that starts under $25,000 — the cheapest new truck on sale in the US. The vehicle, offered in a modular Fastback configuration, has drawn design awards and roughly 180,000 reservations, according to the company's figures cited in the coverage.
Android Authority found a hidden change in the Android Auto beta that removes the navigation rail from GameSnacks, both in its main menu and while playing games. Currently GameSnacks keeps the rail visible on screen, unlike other Android Auto games such as Beach Buggy Racing, which already run full screen with swipe-down back and exit controls. The discovery follows Google's move this week to take Android Auto games out of beta and make them generally available.