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Omura's Series 1 cannabis vaporizer uses 'flower cartridges'
Cannabis vaporizers have come a long way. As weed becomes legal in more states, companies are free to devise new methods to administer the herb. Enter Omura and the Series 1. At first glance, it looks like a conventional — if not more stylish — flower vaporizer. The Series 1 takes a different approach to most though, using pre-filled "flower cartridges" over the bring-your-own approach of rivals like PAX.
New in our buyer's guide: The iPhone 7 and Fitbit Charge 2
Well, well, well. After just a few months of phone releases and reviews, our smartphone buyer's guide section looks very different than it did recently. New to the guide, as you'd expect, are the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, both of which earned strong reviews from us. The HTC 10 and Galaxy S7 have held their spots there, with the OnePlus 3 rounding out the list at the lower end. (And yes, we are thanking our lucky stars that we didn't have time to add the highly rated Galaxy Note 7 into the guide before it was recalled and discontinued.) We've also made some changes to our wearables section, with the Apple Watch Series 1 and Series 2 both making the cut (the Series 2 is the best in absolute terms, but we recommend the Series 1 for more people). You'll also find the Fitbit Charge 2, our new favorite all-around fitness tracker. Find all that and more right here in our buyer's guide, and be sure to check back soon -- we plan to review some highly anticipated releases like Google's new Pixel phones as well as the PlayStation Pro.
TiVo is pulling the plug on Series 1 DVRs September 29th
Whenever you buy something with a promise of "Lifetime" service, the question is exactly how long that will last. For owners of the very first TiVo DVRs who shelled out for promised Lifetime service, the answer is about 17 years. Dave Zatz let us know the company is notifying owners that after September 29th, their boxes will no longer be able to create recordings or pull down guide data. The Series1 boxes won't be able to handle guide data provided by TiVo's new owner Rovi, which is why it's ending service.
Series1 TiVo service in the UK comes to an end June 1st
We're not going to count this on the deathwatch, but anyone still rocking a Series1 TiVo DVR (remember those? They needed something called a "land line" to dial in for updates) in the land of BBC, crumpets and the Royal Family has received word that come June 1st, they'll need to use another DVR. Those living in Virgin Media cable areas may have some kind of upgrade option to the new triple tuner beast, but we're thinking that after this long it's tough to say goodbye to a box that's served them for so long, especially after the indignity of losing programming suggestions a few years back. But for those who shelled out for a "lifetime" TiVo package, we're sure the question will be, is 10 years long enough? Check out the original demo video ZatzNotFunny dug up after the break and remember better times for the old set-top box, when the ability to set up a "season pass" was a completely new concept and the idea of people still using boxes that couldn't receive HD wasn't incredibly sad.
TiVo Suggestions goes kaput in the United Kingdom
Tough news for the few loyal TiVo users still hanging on over in the UK. The outfit's director of product marketing has affirmed that Series1 UK users have lost a piece of functionality that really set it apart from rivals: TiVo Suggestions. For those unaware, the feature would record similar shows that you might like based on your viewing habits, thus helping you discover content without any real effort on your part. Now, TiVo has regrettably nixed the feature entirely after finding an unavoidable conflict with the new program data supplied by a third-party. Worst of all, it doesn't sound like there's any real hope of the feature returning, so those who already forked out for a lifetime subscription are really feeling the burn right about now.[Via Blorge, thanks Nick]
