Bytes: What’s new in tech

A day-one patch for PlayStation 4

Don’t expect the new PlayStation 4 to play Blu-rays and DVDs, said Andrew Webster in TheVerge.com—at least not right away. When gamers buy the new console, which launches this month, “there will be a software update already waiting—and that update is necessary to enjoy some of the console’s most basic functions.” The downloadable patch, which is expected to take up 300 MB of space, will be required not only for users who want to play movies but also for those seeking to record and upload their gameplay, play games as they’re being downloaded, and chat online while playing with others remotely. Players are certainly eagerly awaiting the latest version of Sony’s popular gaming console. But enthusiasts hoping to put their PS4 through its paces right out of the box will be “in for a bit of a wait instead.”

Look who’s spying now

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Do you want to know who’s tracking you? “There’s an app for that,” said Nick Heath in ZDNet.com. Mozilla has released a new add-on called Lightbeam that enables users of the Firefox browser to see what companies are tracking their movements through the Web. The extension works by logging information about every Web address that connects to your computer through tracking cookies. It can then display the data as an info-graphic, giving you a full picture of “which third parties are operating behind the scenes on each website you visit.” Users can also use the tool to block certain sites they would rather not have on their trails, and can anonymously upload information to an online database that monitors third-party tracking.

Apple debuts iPad Air

There’s a new iPad in town, said Poornima Gupta and Edwin Chan in Reuters.com. Apple unveiled the latest generation of its tablet hardware last week—a thinner, lighter version of its iPad called the iPad Air. With a maximum thickness of 7.4 mm, the new device—which weighs just a pound—is about 20 percent thinner than its predecessor. It also sports a new, faster processor. Apple also upgraded the iPad’s smaller cousin, the iPad Mini, giving it a 7.9-inch version of the high-resolution Retina screen featured on older, full-size iPads and Apple’s MacBook Pros. The most basic versions of new models are priced at $499 for the iPad Air and $399 for the iPad Mini.