CNN’s Manu Raju was stunned after his guest Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) said that former Vice President Mike Pence “wasn’t really in peril” on January 6 while protestors chanted “Hang Mike Pence” outside the Capitol.

The conversation stemmed from what was inside special prosecutor Jack Smith’s new unsealed indictment against former President Donald Trump and his attempt to overturn the 2020 election. Part of Smith’s evidence included an account of a Trump aide informing then-President Trump that Pence had to be moved to a secure location as the Capitol was breached by violent rioters. Pence had been certifying the results of the 2020 election that Trump lost to President Joe Biden. Trump’s response to his VP’s safety was: “So what?”

Raju, filling in for Dana Bash, asked Mast about the exchange, and Mast severely downplayed the evidence contained in the indictment as well as the events of the January 6 insurrection:

Raju: What is your response to the president’s apparent reaction to his then-vice president, his life being in danger?

Mast: I don’t think that that should be categorized as anything other than hyperbole right there. He had said–

Raju: I think it’s based on the evidence that the prosecutors found, though.

Mast: He had Secret Service protection. Now at that time, we thought that Secret Service protection was the gold standard of protection and they would be keeping him safe. He was under protection. Okay. He’s being brought to a secure facility. Okay. That’s something that’s being done. It doesn’t really require a great deal of thought. And he wasn’t really in peril. That’s the truth of the situation.

Raju: They were saying “Hang Mike Pence” in the Capitol. You don’t think his life was in peril?

Mast: No, his life wasn’t really in peril. He was protected by Secret Service. That is a fact. And the people that came to the Capitol — as we know, it doesn’t like to get reported — the president told them to go there peacefully, not anything otherwise. But the unsealing of these documents by Jack Smith, that’s — clearly it’s political. That’s the point I would make, number one, this has political intentions. They want to affect November 5th.

Watch the video above via CNN.

The rumors are true—Oura has come out with a fourth generation of their smart ring, and it officially launched today. The new ring starts at $349 and now comes in a wider range of sizes, from 4 through 15. You can pre-order the ring starting today, and Oura says the rings will start shipping on Oct. 15.

Oura Ring 4 - Brushed Silver - Size 11 - Smart Ring - Size First Ring 4 Sizing Kit - Sleep Tracking Wearable - Heart Rate - Fitness Tracker - Up to 8 Days of Battery Life

$399.00 at Amazon

Pre-order Here

Pre-order Here

$399.00 at Amazon

What’s new in the Oura Gen 4? 

The shape is “sleeker,” as the company puts it. Where previous generations’ sensors were encased in small bumps on the inside of the ring, the Gen 4 has recessed sensors for a smooth interior. There is a small indent on the inside of the ring to help you align it with the charger, and a small decorative indent on the outside. 

The Gen 4 also has more sensors and an updated algorithm, which the company says makes it more accurate. They cite a study, but the full details have not been published; the algorithm is proprietary and the study results are presented as a brief article and video.

Oura is also rolling out a new version of its app, with just three tabs along the bottom (instead of five). It includes an improved version of the daytime stress algorithm, identifies a fertile window if you’re using the ring for menstrual cycle tracking, and brings the Oura Labs collection of experimental features (previously iOS-only) to Android. 

How much does the Oura Gen 4 cost, compared to previous versions? 

The current prices on the Oura website for the Gen 4 ring are $349 for silver or black, $399 for brushed silver or “stealth” (matte black), and $499 for gold or rose gold. 

Oura’s Gen 3 ring previously sold for those same prices in the smooth “Horizon” shape, and $50 less in the flat-topped “Heritage” shape, but today on Amazon I’m seeing discounts on Gen 3 rings. For example, here’s a silver Horizon for $299.

The Oura ring still requires a subscription to enjoy most of its features. (You can still get readiness and sleep scores without it, but you won’t have access to the more useful data like HRV or the newer features like resilience.) The subscription is $5.99 per month, or $69.99 per year.

Oura points out that the ring and the subscription are considered eligible expenditures for FSA and HSA accounts.

How does the Gen 4 sizing compare to Gen 3? 

The previous generations came in sizes 6 to 13, but the new Gen 4 rings feature two larger and two smaller sizes, with the full range now encompassing sizes 4 through 15. 

The interior shape of the ring has also changed (no more bumps), so there is now a new sizing kit. The sizing kit contains plastic rings in all of the available sizes, and Oura recommends that you try them on and wear your chosen size for 24 hours to test it out. Your fingers may swell during exercise, in hot weather, and during sleep, so this test run ensures that you’ve chosen a size that will work for you 24/7.

You can order a free sizing kit directly from Oura, or buy one for around $10 from Amazon or Best Buy. If you go with one of those retailers, the kit comes with a $10 credit that you can use toward your purchase of the actual ring. 

Oura Ring 4 Sizing Kit - Size Before You Buy Oura Ring 4 - Unique Sizing - Receive Credit for Purchase

$10.00 at Amazon

Shop Now

Shop Now

$10.00 at Amazon

How does the battery life compare between Gen 4 and Gen 3? 

Oura says that the Gen 4 rings last eight days on a charge, compared to seven days for Gen 3. The exact time you get per charge will depend on the size of the ring and the features you have enabled in your settings.

Over the long term, battery life has notoriously been an issue as the rings age. My own Gen 2 lost any useful battery life just short of two years after I bought it; its replacement, a Gen 3, seems to by dying on the same schedule (I’ve had it 22 months and it only lasts 1-2 days on a charge). Will the Gen 4 last longer? Only time will tell. 

Is there an upgrade or trade-in deal for Gen 3 users? 

No. When the Gen 3 launched, the company offered a trade-in credit, and gifted early adopters a lifetime subscription to the app. There are no such deals available for Gen 3 users who wish to upgrade to Gen 4.

There's a good reason those of us who write about tech typically advise readers not to install beta software on their main devices: Betas are, by definition, unfinished software, and are intended for software testers to look for bugs, glitches, and anything else wrong with the update. That way, developers can fix those problems before seeding the software to its larger general user base.

Usually, the chances of catastrophic failure when installing a beta are slim: Most negative experiences with unfinished software, especially from established companies, tend to revolve around smaller, pain-in-the-ass glitches that disrupt typical use. However, a big beta disaster is always a possibility, as some Apple Watch users are now discovering.

watchOS 11.1 beta 3 is broken

As reported by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris, Apple pulled the latest beta for watchOS 11.1 on Wednesday, just hours after it initially seeded the beta to developers. Some Redditors on r/watchOSBeta complained of various Apple Watch issues following the install. Messages, for example, would load endlessly before crashing, while trying to access Privacy & Security settings had a similar effect. Worse of all, some watches would totally freeze up, even after rebooting, with no clear way to get watchOS working again.

Why watchOS betas are different (and dangerous)

Apple pulling the update means that no one else will be able to install the buggy beta. The company will no doubt isolate the problem, fix it, and rerelease the beta for anyone interested. However, I strongly discourage you from doing so. Apple Watch betas are riskier than most, because Apple does not offer you a way to downgrade to a previous OS if you change your mind after the fact. With other betas, like iOS or macOS, you can restore your device and reinstall the public version of the software, but not watchOS. Once that beta's installed, it's on there until Apple releases a new update.

What to do if watchOS 11.1 beta 3 broke your Apple Watch

If you installed this buggy beta on your Apple Watch and the device is freezing up, your only option is to take your device to an Apple Store or authorized Apple repair shop. While Apple hasn't publicly recommended this course of action, according to 9to5Mac and comments on r/AppleWatch, Apple will send your watch out, remove the beta, reinstall the official watchOS, and ship it back.

Again, the watchOS beta is simply not worth it, unless you are a developer or have a spare Apple Watch on hand. If you're a curious user with a one main watch, however, just wait for the official watchOS release.

Amazon’s second biggest sale of the year, October Prime Day, is set to start Oct. 8, but many early deals are already rolling in, as they have in the past. To take advantage of everything the sale has to offer, you’re going to need to be a Prime Member. If you sign up for an Amazon Prime account to take advantage of Prime Day but decide you don’t want to pay for an ongoing membership, you’ll need to cancel your subscription before the end of your free trial.

How to cancel your Amazon Prime membership

You can cancel your Prime subscription via browser by first logging into your Amazon account. Amazon has an End Your Prime Membership button on its support page to launch the process, or you can follow the steps detailed from Amazon's page:

1. Head to Amazon.com in your web browser.

2. Hover over the Accounts & Lists menu on the top-right of the window, then select the Prime Membership option.

3. Hover over the Manage Membership section at the top-right of the screen, then tap the End Membership button.

4. Follow the on-screen instructions to proceed to canceling your Prime subscription.

Note that Amazon requires a bunch of clicks to finalize your cancellation, giving you lots of “opportunities” to change your mind.

How to cancel Amazon Prime via mobile app

If you prefer, you can cancel your Prime membership via Amazon’s Shopping app. To do so:

1. Open the Amazon Shopping app on your mobile device.

2. On the bottom of the screen, tap the Profile button, which looks like a silhouette of a person.

3. Scroll down and select Manage Prime Membership.

4. Press on the Manage Membership drop-down menu, and press the Manage Membership button in that menu.

5. Press on the End Membership button.

6. Follow the on-screen instructions to proceed to canceling your Prime subscription.

What to know when canceling your Prime membership

As mentioned, closing your account will immediately end your access. Amazon also offers you the option to pause your benefits and billing temporarily instead of canceling them completely. Either way, your Amazon account is still active—you simply won’t have Prime benefits.

Finally, if you have other subscriptions connected to your Prime account, those will end when your billing is up. And if you signed up for Prime through the Android mobile shopping app or the Prime Video Android app, you’ll have to go through Google Subscription to manage your membership.

Good news, fans of Android and AI assistants: The latest Gemini Live upgrade is now available to everyone with an Android phone set to use English, with no need for a Gemini Advanced subscription. As long as you've got Gemini for Android installed on your phone, you can start chatting with this upgraded assistant right away.

Here I'll explain what's new with Gemini Live and how you can get the most out of it—and if you've never heard of Gemini Live and are wondering where Google Assistant has gone, then I've got you covered as well. (If you're really not into Google AI, meanwhile, you could talk to ChatGPT instead.)

What is Gemini Live?

Credit: Lifehacker

Gemini is the name of both Google's latest AI-powered chatbot app and the models that run it, and Gemini Live is the newest way to interact with the app using your voice. It was announced at the Pixel 9 launch back in August, and was originally only available to users paying for Gemini Advanced.

The ability to talk to Gemini on your phone isn't new, but Gemini Live makes the chat experience more natural, in the same way as the Advanced Voice mode on ChatGPT does. For example, you can interrupt the bot mid-sentence, you can pause conversations to come back to them later, and you can choose from several different "natural" voices.

The actual AI underneath the chatbot is nothing new—you can still go back and view text transcriptions run through the same Gemini models as before. What Gemini Live does is make it feel (somewhat) more like you're talking to an actual person (you're not, obviously). It's distinctly more natural than the previous voice mode.

What Android phones support Gemini Live?

If you can run the Gemini app on your phone, you can use Gemini Live. Google says that you need a device with at least 2GB of RAM and Android 10 or up, so the majority of the phones (and tablets) in use today should qualify. If Gemini isn't already on your phone, you'll need to install the Android app, at which point it will replace Google Assistant.

Across Google's apps and devices, Google Assistant is out, and the more natural and powerful Google Gemini is in. Google Assistant will stay around for a while to support older devices and apps, but as Gemini picks up more skills, it's the AI bot Google will focus on in the future.

How to talk to Gemini Live

Credit: Lifehacker

Once Gemini is installed on your Android phone, all you need to do to talk to Gemini Live is to launch the app and tap on the small sound wave icon to the right of the text box. You'll then get access to the conversational bot. You'll be asked to choose a default voice, and you can then start a conversation about anything you like—and don't be afraid to interrupt your AI friend if it starts going off track.

Conversations can be paused or stopped using the buttons down at the bottom of the interface, and you can even switch away to different apps and keep on talking with Gemini (to end the conversation, say "stop" or pull down the notification at the top of the screen and choose End Live mode).

As you'll see in Lifehacker's Google Pixel 9 review, Gemini Live is no less susceptible to mistakes and hallucinations than any other AI—just because it sounds more natural doesn't mean it's any closer to being human. Gemini Live will sometimes tell you things that are not quite right, or completely wrong, so always double-check with a reliable source before taking anything it says as gospel.

How to see your chat history with Gemini Live

To access previous chats, tap the speech bubble (top left) to see the list. Tap on a chat to resume it, or tap and hold to pin it to the top of the list, rename it, or delete it.

How to change Gemini Live's voice on Android

Tap your Google account picture (top right) then choose Settings, and you're able to switch the voice that Gemini Live uses. In this menu, you can also turn the ability to interrupt Gemini Live on or off.

The other ways of interacting with Gemini are still available of course. You can type in the prompt box, upload an image or file for analysis, or tap the microphone button to speak out your prompt—but unlike when using Gemini Live, you'll get a text chat in response, rather than a spoken one. (You can also switch between modes in the same chat if you need to.)

CNN anchor and chief national security analyst Jim Sciutto posted footage of missiles landing in Tel Aviv and he and his team were a little too close for comfort.

“Oh God. Okay, guys, we got to get off the roof!” Sciutto can be heard saying in footage captured from the top of a building. Two missiles or missile fragments can be seen falling from the sky. “These are coming down right next to us here.”

Sciutto stopped recording as someone said they need to go inside and his report for CNN was cut short. Sciutto shared other footage of the missiles with CNN’s Dana Bash.

“Jim, please take cover,” Bash told her colleague.

“It’s practically like fireflies over the city of Tel Aviv,” Sciutto said during his report as he showed footage of numerous missile fragments making their way to the ground, describing it as a “major attack” and an “escalation” in the country’s war with terror groups like Hamas. Air raid sirens were going off throughout Sciutto’s report

Sciutto said he saw multiple impacts mid-air as Israel’s defense missile systems took effect, but missile fragments landed in densely populated areas, including not far from the reporter’s hotel. Sciutto later reported back to Bash from inside his hotel, which is being used as a shelter.

A senior White House official told Israel on Tuesday that Iran was planning an “imminent” attack.

Watch above via CNN.

If you think you sleep better in a hotel room than at home, you're not alone: According to one survey, about 73% of people surveyed reported better sleep when they crash in a hotel. While some of that might be exhaustion from travel or being away from stress factors, there’s something else going on here: Hotels have designed their rooms to be as sleep-friendly as possible. Some hotels even lean into this phenomenon, marketing “sleep retreats” and offering amenities like pillow menus. There are several reasons you might want your home to emulate the look and feel of a high-end hotel, but if sleep is your enemy, you can one more to the list: Setting up your bedroom like a hotel room can lead to better sleep.

Choose quality bedding

This is pretty obvious: Even mid-tier hotels offer luxurious mattresses, pillows, and linens that make crawling under the covers a comforting, pleasurable experience that scratchy old sheets and a mattress you’ve moved through six apartments will never replicate.

If you have an existential sleeping experience in a specific hotel, you might be able to buy their bedding directly from them to get the same experience at home. You can also make a note of the bedding and research whether you can buy it directly somewhere (my wife and I once simply asked a hotel what kind of sheets they used, then found them online).

But just by upgrading your mattress, sheets, and pillows, you’ll give yourself a sleeping experience closer to hotel living.

Make the room darker

Hotel rooms, you may have noticed, tend to be dim: Even when you turn on every light in the room it’s all warm, low-level light. There are usually heavy blackout curtains on the windows, too. The combined effect is a cocoon of soothing, warm light that transforms into an enveloping darkness with the touch of a button. Put simply, darker environments equal better sleep.

Adding blackout curtains to your bedroom can replicate that near-perfect darkness that makes a great night’s sleep just a little easier to attain, but you should also pay attention to the lighting. Getting that warm, dim hotel vibe is all about choosing light bulbs that aren’t harsh—avoiding “blue light” in your bedroom can lead to better sleep, so install some sleep-promoting light bulbs and make sure you’ve got the lighting set very low when you enter your bedroom every night.

Cool the room down more

Temperature has a big impact on how well you sleep—heat and humidity can interrupt sleep cycles, so hotels usually keep their rooms pretty cool. The ideal temperature for sleeping is probably lower than you think—it’s about 65 degrees. Setting your room’s climate control to hit that temp when you go to bed will give you that cozy hotel room vibe that encourages deep, restful sleep. Boosting air movement and ventilation with a ceiling fan, an oscillating fan, or by installing a window air conditioner can also help get you closer to that ideal temperature.

Plus, fans and air conditioners double as white noise, which can also block out the ambient sounds that can startle us out of a deep sleep. You can also add a white noise machine or use an app on your phone to block out even more noise.

Straighten things up

One final secret why hotel rooms are so restful? They’re tidy and cleaned regularly. Housekeeping showing up every day, putting everything back into place and cleaning things up can have an effect on how you perceive the environment. Studies have shown that clutter and mess can have a negative impact on our sleep, so the magical way hotel rooms stay clean and tidy contributes to getting better sleep. So if you’re looking to improve your sleep experience at home, do a weekly sweep of the bedroom and put things away, wipes down surfaces, and freshen the air to give it a sense of cleanliness and order.