Digital Trends Live: Fitbit’s Versa 2, Facebook promises transparency, and more

By Todd Werkhoven Published April 25, 2023

On this episode of Digital Trends Live, hosts Greg Nibler and Dan Gaul talk the trending tech topics of the day, including Fitbit’s Versa 2 upgrade, Microsoft may debut a dual-screen Surface, Facebook promises political ad transparency, SpaceX’s levitating Starhopper rocket, a self-driving car racing league, and more.

Later, we’re joined by Rehan Jalil, founder and chief executive officer of Securti.ai, who talks about data privacy, cloud security, and California’s upcoming new Consumer Privacy Act.

Steve Potash, president and CEO of Rakuten OverDrive, discusses the growing use of technology in education, inclusive learning, and their new app Sora.

Finally, we welcome Justin Barad, CEO and co-founder of Osso VR, to talk about virtual environments used to train upcoming medical doctors to perform surgery.

Todd Werkhoven

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Todd Werkhoven's work can be read at numerous publications and he co-authored a personal finance book called "Zombie…

Topics

Wearables

XREAL’s $299 AR glasses are finally here, and they could be a great travel companion

These AR glasses give you a 147-inch virtual display you can carry around in your pocket

XREAL announced its lower-cost xbx sub-brand earlier this year, and its first product is now available in the U.S. The xbx a01+ costs $299 through XREAL’s online store, putting it below the company’s more expensive AR glasses.

The a01+ is mainly built for watching videos, playing games, or using a laptop on a large virtual screen. It connects to compatible phones, handheld consoles, and computers over USB-C, so it works more like a wearable display than a standalone headset.

Wearables

I took this Oppo smartwatch swimming, and it tracked everything except my excuses

The Oppo Watch X3 caught every lap, stroke, and my poolside talking breaks

I recently covered a report suggesting that people who use fitness trackers and smartphone apps tend to stay more physically active. While my experience sits far outside the scope of that study that involved cardiovascular disease, I now understand how a wearable can turn an ordinary workout into something you want to repeat.

I have been trying to get back into swimming, and the Oppo Watch X3 arrived at the perfect time.

Wearables

Your dog can run, but Fi’s new Starlink satellite-backed tracker makes sure you can still find them

Fi Ultra borrows Starlink satellites to find pups that wander off the grid

A runaway pup can race into a forest or across miles of open countryside, leaving its owner with a GPS tracker that suddenly has no way to report its location. But Fi is looking to solve that problem with the Fi Ultra, which is a new dog tracker that falls back on SpaceX’s Starlink network whenever cellular coverage disappears. The company describes it as the first dog tracker powered by T-Mobile’s T-Satellite with Starlink service. It is available now in the US for $199, plus a $20 activation fee and a $189 annual membership.

Your dog just got a satellite connection