Technologies

iPhone 17 Cameras Might Get Improved Video Skills. As a Creator, I’m Excited

The iPhone 17 Pro could be great for YouTubers and content creators. Here’s what Apple needs to do.

The iPhone 16 Pro is already an extremely powerful tool for both photographers and videographers alike, thanks to its stellar rear cameras and ProRes Log video support. However, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman — an Apple analyst with a reliable track record — writes that for the iPhone 17 Pro line, Apple «will stress improvements to video recording» in a move to «get the vlogging community away from stand alone cameras.» As a YouTube creator and professional photographer myself, I’m intrigued.

Sadly, Gurman hasn’t offered any details on what these video improvements might be. And to be fair to Apple, it’s already leading the way with some of its video production capabilities. The combination of ProRes recording and Log color profiles on the last couple of iPhone Pro models has made them not just great video cameras for everyday vloggers, but powerful enough to be the primary cameras for Hollywood films. Samsung clearly took note of Apple’s video dominance in the creative space as it equipped the recent S25 Ultra with Log color, too.

Given the already top-end video skills of the iPhones, it’s difficult to know exactly what Apple might do to make its devices even more appealing to content creators. I produce videos for CNET and I operate a YouTube channel, so I spend a lot of my time shooting video and vlogging on a variety of equipment from mirrorless cameras like my Canon R5 and BlackMagic Cinema Camera to more mobile options like the DJI Osmo Pocket 3. Yet I rarely use my iPhone 16 Pro as part of my production. So, why don’t I?

In all honesty, there’s no specific reason beyond that I feel I have my bases adequately covered by what’s already available. When I want cinematic production quality, I use my main cameras. When I want a lightweight mobile setup for photowalk vlogging, I use my Osmo. So I’m left wondering what Apple would need to do to make me leave my Osmo at home and head out to shoot my YouTube videos using just my phone. I do have a couple of thoughts.

First, it needs to make the main camera app easier to use with Bluetooth microphones. While the iPhone’s built-in microphones are decent enough in quiet environments, external mics can offer more professional sound quality with better wind resistance. They allow you to stand further away from your camera while capturing crystal clear sound.

While it’s possible to pair the DJI Mic 2 with the iPhone, I’ve only been able to get it to work when using the BlackMagic Camera app, but not in the iPhone’s default camera app. It’s possible that Apple will try to push the AirPods Pro 2 as the better option for creators, but I don’t like wearing headphones when vlogging, so this isn’t a workaround I’d be happy with.

I also want to see Apple offer more editing options for its Log footage on the phone. Log video looks grey and low contrast by default as you typically take that footage into editing software like Adobe Premiere or DaVinci Resolve and adjust the colors and contrast to suit — a process called color grading. But that adds a lot of time and effort.

If Apple wants its high-level video skills to appeal to fast-paced YouTubers and social media creators, adding color presets (often called LUTs) to the iPhone’s video editing workflow would be a welcome addition.

I’m definitely excited to see what Apple has in store for the iPhone 17’s cameras. As someone who spends a lot of time producing videos, I’m keen to see whether its new updates will be enough to tempt me away from my own tried-and-tested setup.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Oct. 23 #599

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Oct. 23, No. 599.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle might be Halloween-themed, as the answers are all rather dangerous. Some of them are a bit tough to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Please don’t eat me!

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Remember Mr. Yuk?

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

POND, NOON, NODE, BALE, SOCK, LOVE, LOCK, MOCK, LEER, REEL, GLOVE, DAIS, LEAN, LEAD, REEL

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

AZALEA, HEMLOCK, FOXGLOVE, OLEANDER, BELLADONNA

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is POISONOUS. To find it, look for the P that is the first letter on the far left of the top row, and wind down and across.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Oct. 23, #395

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Oct. 23, No. 395.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition has one of those crazy purple categories, where you wonder if anyone saw the connection, or if people just put that grouping together because only those four words were left. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Fan noise.

Green group hint: Strategies for hoops.

Blue group hint: Minor league.

Purple group hint: Look for a connection to hoops.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Sounds from the crowd.

Green group: Basketball offenses.

Blue group: Triple-A baseball teams.

Purple group: Ends with a basketball stat.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is sounds from the crowd. The four answers are boo, cheer, clap and whistle.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is basketball offenses. The four answers are motion, pick and roll, Princeton and triangle.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is triple-A baseball teams. The four answers are Aces, Jumbo Shrimp, Sounds and Storm Chasers.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ends with a basketball stat. The four answers are afoul, bassist, counterpoint and sunblock.

Technologies

Amazon’s Delivery Drivers Will Soon Wear AI Smart Glasses to Work

The goal is to streamline the delivery process while keeping drivers safe.

Amazon announced on Wednesday that it is developing new AI-powered smart glasses to simplify the delivery experience for its drivers. CNET smart glasses expert Scott Stein mentioned this wearable rollout last month, and now the plan is in its final testing stages.

The goal is to simplify package delivery by reducing the need for drivers to look at their phones, the label on the package they’re delivering and their surroundings to find the correct address.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

A heads-up display will activate as soon as the driver parks, pointing out potential hazards and tasks that must be completed. From there, drivers can locate and scan packages, follow turn-by-turn directions and snap a photograph to prove delivery completion without needing to take out their phone.

The company is testing the glasses in select North American markets.

Watch: See our Instagram post with a video showing the glasses

A representative for Amazon didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

To fight battery drain, the glasses pair with a controller attached to the employee’s delivery vest, allowing them to replace depleted batteries and access operational controls. The glasses will support an employee’s eyeglass prescription. An emergency button will be within reach to ensure the driver’s safety.

Amazon is already planning future versions of the glasses, which will feature «real-time defect detection,» notifying the driver if a package was delivered to the incorrect address. They plan to add features to the glasses to detect if pets are in the yard and adjust to low light.