Google’s latest Pixel drop brings VPN by Google and Clear Calling to Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, automatic speaker labels in the Recorder app to Pixel 6 and up, and more (Paul Thurrott/Thurrott)

Allison Johnson / The Verge:
Google Pixel 7 and 7 Pro review: faster biometric unlocking and bright screens, but underwhelming speech and intelligence features, and 7 display is still 90Hz  —  They’re not quite the super-helpful, ultra-intelligent phones that Google wants them to be, but the latest Pixel devices are more competitive than ever

Tom Warren / The Verge:
Google rolls out its Google One VPN to Windows and macOS in 22 countries; the service is available to Premium subscribers with 2TB+ storage  —  Google is bringing its VPN access to desktop today.  Google One subscribers on Premium plans (2TB or higher) can now download VPN apps for Windows and macOS …

Jon Fingas / Engadget:
What to expect from Google’s “Made by Google” event: Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel Watch, and potentially Pixel device previews and Nest hardware  —  – Wildcards: More Pixel device previews and Nest hardware  —  Google’s fall hardware event promises to be special this year.

Amanda Silberling / TechCrunch:
Tumblr introduces “community labels”, letting users tag posts about drug and alcohol addiction, violence, and sexual content; no content rules are changing  —  Tumblr announced a “community labels” feature this week that will make it easier for bloggers to filter out sensitive content that they may not want to see.

New York Times:
How Geneva-based developer Proton is waging a sustained fight against Russia’s censorship and surveillance campaigns using its VPN tech  —  The cat-and-mouse experience of Proton, a Swiss company, shows what it’s like to be targeted by Russian censors — and what it takes to fight back.

Benjamin Mayo / 9to5Mac:
Apple announces a new 11″ and 12.9″ iPad Pro with M2 chip, Wi-Fi 6E, and a new Apple Pencil hover feature, in stores October 26 and starting at $799 and $1,099  —  Apple today unveiled the new generation of 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro, powered by the latest M2 Apple Silicon chips.