It is April 1, which implies there isn’t any scarcity of almost unbelievable information on the market. Listed here are some current developments that truly occurred. I swear, no foolin’.

Apple Play Later

First, Apple has introduced that its subsequent WWDC occasion is about for June 5. The annual developer convention is a spot for nerdy tech sorts to mingle, but additionally the setting for a few of Apple’s largest bulletins of the yr. Whereas it is by no means a assure precisely what Apple will announce, there is a wholesome rumor mill that offers a reasonably good thought of what is to come back. If this WWDC is something just like the final dozen or so, count on to listen to primarily about new software program updates to Apple’s cell and desktop gadgets.

Apple generally proclaims a {hardware} system or two at WWDC. The large rumor that is been blowing round for years now considerations Apple’s upcoming mixed-reality headset. A gentle trickle of leaks have prompt that Apple might announce the augmented actuality system at WWDC, however that timetable appears to be getting pushed again. In line with know-how analyst and Apple soothsayer Ming-Chi Kuo, the corporate is more likely to push again its reveal of the headset till the third quarter of this yr on the earliest. A narrative in The New York Occasions lays out the inner tensions at Apple in regards to the upcoming headset, and the way some workers on the firm fear that Apple is making too dangerous of a guess with a really costly headset that makes use of applied sciences (digital and augmented actuality) that have not but confirmed their value.

The current experiences additionally inform us a bit about what to anticipate: An exterior battery that’s worn elsewhere in your physique, Siri integration, and a “actuality” knob that fades your real-world environment into and out of the scene within the goggles.

Lastly, Apple did truly launch one thing this week. The corporate’s purchase now, pay later service launched after a months-long wait. Referred to as Apple Pay Later, it lets customers defer funds for purchases into smaller installments unfold out throughout just a few months. It’s one thing Apple has had within the works for over a yr, and a part of a rising business that features companies like Klarna and Affirm.

OverDrive Peters Out

OverDrive, a service that lets individuals entry digital library books on private gadgets, is shutting down. It isn’t useless, precisely, it’s simply shifting companies to the Libby app, which is made by the identical firm anyway. Whereas OverDrive itself received’t be working anymore, the corporate has offered a option to easily transition to Libby.

There’s nonetheless a bunch of how to maintain getting free library books in your ereader. Additionally, it’s at all times value going to a library in particular person—they provide all types of different companies.

Fitbit’s Closing Lap

Google, which owns Fitbit, appears to be slowly chopping off the limbs of the health wearable firm. In its most up-to-date transfer, Google has eliminated some social options from the Fitbit platform. The Open Teams characteristic, which lets Fitbit customers work together with one another and evaluate exercises, has been eliminated. Google can also be taking away a few of the gamification options, like eradicating challenges individuals have participated in and the trophies they’ve earned. The announcement got here from an admin account on the official Fitbit neighborhood discussion board.

So it goes with Google companies. The corporate is infamous for killing off all kinds of apps and gadgets. Google purchased Fitbit in 2021 and final yr launched its personal Pixel-branded smartwatch.

All the time-On Amazon

Amazon’s Echo and Ring gadgets are in all places. In the event that they aren’t inside your house already, they’re close by, sitting in your neighbors’ homes and guarding their doorways. These devices all hook up with the web to work, however in addition they emit indicators of their very own, offering a slice of your house community’s bandwidth to different Amazon gadgets round them that might use a bit of additional sign. The result’s a shortly increasing community that the corporate calls Amazon Sidewalk. It’s additionally staggeringly massive—Amazon says Sidewalk now covers 90 % of individuals within the US—and is poised to get bigger now that it’s open to builders.

This week’s Gadget Lab episode is all about Amazon Sidewalk and the way the corporate managed to stealthily construct an enormous Wi-Fi community from its merchandise, proper beneath everybody’s noses.