Pocket-lint daily - Zoom avatars, Sonos home theatre, Android launchers, and more

Good morning! By Stuart Miles | Wednesday March 23 2022 Good morning! - If you're enjoying the email, why not get a friend to sign up too, so they can also be in the know? Get them to [sign up here.]( Zoom introduces animal avatars letting you be a fox or a dog in your next video call Pocket-lint What's happened? Zoom has rolled out a Memoji-style avatar feature that overlays a virtual character on top of your face. Why does it matter? The feature, which is included in the 5.10 update, is limited to animals, but new avatar options will be added in the future. What's my take? Animal avatars are nothing new, nor is Zoom for that matter, but clearly as we move back to the office and away from every meeting being on a video conferencing service, the company needs to find more ways to bring us back and stay ahead of the competition. And so that means Animal Avatars, and I suspect film tie-ins and celebrity endorsements after that. While I'm sure the feature will be great fun (that's me as a fox above by the way) I'm not sure I'm ready to do my next press briefing or board meeting as a fox, a cat or a dog. You can hear it now: "I'm here live, I'm not a cat!" - [How to use avatars in Zoom: Be a fox or a dog in your next video call]( Does Sonos have plans for a TV streaming app? Sonos What's happened? Sonos is seemingly recruiting software engineers to work on a "[Home Theater OS]( project. Why does it matter? That's leading some to believe it is looking into the possibility of expanding its services onto televisions. What's my take? There are two reasons to get Sonos. The first is that you want a speaker in your kitchen that sounds better than an Echo and yet has access to all the same streaming services. The second is to power your home theatre sound so you can be blasted with Dolby Atmos when you watch the latest Hollywood blockbuster. While the former delivers plenty of "touch points" in that playing experience, the later forces Sonos to be a "dumb" partner subservient to whatever TV or streaming service you've opted to use. I suspect that someone at Sonos is keen to change that approach and ensure that the company has a greater part to play going forward so they can't easily be replaced by A N Other speaker maker simply and easily. - [Best Sonos speaker: Sonos Roam, Move, One, Five, Beam and Arc compared]( A MESSAGE FROM SPONSOR 5 reasons Surfshark is a great VPN Surfshark Surfshark only emerged as a prominent VPN platform in 2018, but it has already amassed an impressive network of servers across the globe. [Find out how!]( Insta360 One RS review: The best of both worlds? Pocket-lint What's happened? When the Insta360 One R launched in 2020, it was a camera unlike any we'd seen before. The clever modular design meant that it could be used as a 360-degree camera or as an action camera by simply clicking on a different lens module. Now, a couple of years later, Insta360 is looking to refine its formula with the introduction of the One RS. Our quick verdict The One RS further improves upon Insta360's already capable camera system. It allows users to capture impressive videos, photos and 360-degree footage, all from a lightweight and compact package. While it may not beat the flagship GoPro models when it comes to pure image quality, it makes up for it in convenience and user experience. [Read our review.]( In Case You Missed it Apple blocks [Mac Studio]( SSD replacement. --- These are the [OnePlus devices]( we could see launched through 2022. --- The OnePlus Nord 2 has [a £120 saving]( at £272 (was £399). That's over a third off the mobile with a 50MP camera, 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. From The Gear Loop The Gear Loop Canyon Grizl CF SL 8 review: an all-out, honest gravel grinder. [Read more.]( And finally... Pocket-lint Android Launchers: How to install, change and customise your phone. [Read more.]( Have you checked out our weekly podcast that comes out every Friday? It's packed with news, interviews, and top things to get. You can subscribe to the Pocket-lint Podcast via [iTunes]( and [Spotify]( or access it on the web via [Acast](. This week, we find out about the Samsung A33 and A53 smartphones, review the new Apple Mac Studio, and talk to an author who's been writing about the metaverse for over a decade. [Listen to the new episode today.]( Thanks for reading , if you're enjoying the email, why not get a friend to sign up too, so they can also be in the know? Get them to [sign up here.]( [The Trust Project][Why you can trust Pocket-lint]( Copyright © 2022 Pocket-lint, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website Our mailing address is: Pocket-lint PO Box 4770Ascot, Berkshire SL5 5DP United Kingdom [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. [Mailchimp Email Marketing](