Officer William Kasberg was a 30-year veteran of the San Antonio Police Department.
A San Antonio Police Department officer died after he was accidentally shot by his own pistol on Tuesday morning in what police are calling a tragic accident.
The shooting took place at around 9:30 a.m. in the 1600 block of Fitch Street near West Southcross Boulevard at the Columbia Heights Elementary School building, which has been closed for a year.
Officer Shot Himself While Gathering His Belongings Before Going for State-Mandated Training
SAPD Chief William McManus, who gave remarks at the scene, said Officer William Kasberg was arriving for state-mandated training at the school. He was reportedly gathering his belongings to take inside when his pistol went off accidentally.
Another officer who was also arriving found Kasberg lying beside his pickup truck. He was transported to University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The training taking place was called Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) and is required by the State of Texas.
‘He Was a Good Officer’
McManus remembered Kasberg fondly as a well-respected officer. He had been with the San Antonio Police Department for 30 years and nearing retirement.
«He was a good officer, always up, always joking. He never seemed to have a care in the world, and then this happened», McManus said. «This is a sad day for SAPD.»
Kasberg, who was set to retired, has been recognized for his work with San Antonio Police Department’s DWI Unit. He had also been honored by organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

An easy to use UI and a jaw-dropping battery life make it perfect for a first-time home security camera user
Blink Outdoor 4: one-minute review
The Blink Outdoor 4 is an outdoor-intended camera that offers weather resistance and a simple, easily fixed square design that’s perfect for placing up in the corner of a roof or sitting on a windowsill. Its best feature is a phenomenal two-year battery life, powered by two easily replaceable AA batteries – though if you really want, the camera can be powered via a USB-C connection.
Available for $99 / £92.24 / AU$149, this outdoor, battery-powered camera may be attractive just for its low cost. Blink is Amazon’s budget home security brand, and unlike its premium brand Ring, Blink is focused on affordability. Still, the camera works quite well and has a worthwhile range of features. With the included Sync Module 2, offline video capture and storage can be facilitated, provided you have a USB-A device connected (below 256GB).
Aside from this offline solution, you may instead wish to subscribe to one of Blink’s paid memberships, which offer additional features like unlimited 60-day cloud storage and photo capture. However, for most of my time with the Blink Outdoor 4, I used the free subscription with the Sync Module 2, and found it to be a perfectly fine experience.
Setting up the Blink Outdoor 4 was extremely easy. Everything happens through the Blink app for Android and Apple handsets, where you’re prompted to set up an account (you can link to your Amazon account in the app). Pairing your Outdoor 4 with your Sync Module comes next – and as long as they’re both on the same Wi-Fi network, everything works seamlessly. You can place the Sync Module 2 anywhere in your home provided it has power.
After setup, I could check-in on the camera at any time through an always-online live feed. This offers decent (if a bit grainy and motion blurry) 1080p stream, along with two-way audio with sound quality that isn’t terrible, but isn’t the clearest either. Motion-triggered notifications are available with all three subscriptions, but motion event recording, live view recording and person detection are restricted to paid subscriptions.
Motion detection is reliable and you are given the option to turn up the sensitivity in the settings (you can even adjust retrigger time between events). Person detection is serviceable and I generally didn’t have any problems with it, testing it both inside and out.
On the hardware side, the Blink Outdoor 4 is easily mounted on the outside of a home with the included bracket, and its IP65 rating gives it a fair amount of resistance to the elements. A basic mounting kit and power adapter is included in the box, but I’ve happily had the Outdoor 4 sitting on my windowsill over the past couple of months with no mount attached.
Adjusting privacy zones in the app is easy, but selection is limited to an array of rectangular zones on the display (privacy zones will be completely greyed out). The same goes for setting activity zones, though you are given slightly more depth of customization with this setting.
In terms of quality, you may be left unimpressed with the Blink Outdoor 4 if you’re after a replacement for a premium outdoor camera from Ring or Eufy. The 1080p resolution is perfectly fine for a first time home camera, but it’s no premium device. Selecting the ‘best picture quality’ setting will resolve some issues with moving object blur, but you may still find it a bit too grainy. Improving the video quality does reduce battery life. It may be unattractive to you if you already have a robust security system, and it’s more intended as a first-time device.Blink Outdoor 4: price and availability
List price: $99 / £92.24 / AU$149
Availability: US, UK, and Australia
Release date: November 2023 (October 2024 in Australia)
The Blink Outdoor 4 is available at quite a low price when compared to other home security cameras, but it’s designed to be an affordable solution. It’s been available in the US and UK since November 2023, but only made its way to Australia (along with the Blink brand) in October 2024.
Directly compared to its predecessor, the Outdoor 3, the Outdoor 4 sports a slightly wider field of view (143 degrees versus 110), upgraded night infrared vision, better motion detection, dual-zone motion alerts and person detection. Additional purchases for things such as mounts may be required depending on where you want to place the Outdoor 4 in your home.
Being able to store all footage locally is a huge plus, but note that you’ll need to use the included Sync Module 2 and your own USB-A storage device (up to 256GB). Stored footage can be viewed through the Blink app.
Value score: 4 / 5Blink Outdoor 4 subscription offers
Blink has two subscription tiers to choose from, both offering unlimited recording cloud storage for up to 60 days. Monthly or yearly billing is available.
Blink Basic: $3p/m | £2.50p/m | AU$4.95p/m
Blink Plus: $10p/m | £8p/m | AU$15p/m
Blink Basic includes support for one device, motion event recording, live view recording, automatic local storage backups, instant video access, video sharing, person detection and photo capture. Blink Plus includes all Basic features, along with unlimited device inclusion, moments capture, notification snoozing and 10% off Blink devices.Blink Outdoor 4: specifications Blink Outdoor 4: design and features
Easy setup
No privacy cover
No remote control capabilities
Setup for the Blink Outdoor 4 couldn’t be more simple. After slotting in the batteries, all I had to do was download the app, scan the barcode on the back of the device, and follow the prompted steps. Setup for the Sync Module 2 is similarly simple.
The Blink Outdoor 4 is only available in Black, and though a basic mounting kit is included in the box, you can get by with just sitting the Outdoor 4 on a flat surface. There’s no motorized movement, meaning you’ll need to make any position adjustments by hand.
The basic mounting kit can be screwed into the wall or ceiling, but note that you’ll likely want it to be within easy reach to replace the batteries. There’s no privacy cover and no ability to simply cut recording unless you physically remove the batteries.
Setting privacy zones is easy enough, but you may be left underwhelmed by the lack of customization. Zones can only be created as collections of rectangles, as can activity zones (though activity zones are given slightly smaller rectangles to modify, allowing for greater coverage control). If you so wish, you can disable video recording or disable the audio connection.
Design and features score: 4/5Blink Outdoor 4: performance
Two years of battery life
Some lag and pixelization
Can be positioned almost anywhere
I reviewed the Blink Outdoor 4 in two different positions – sitting atop my lounge room shelves (keeping an eye on the room) and sitting on the windowsill (keeping an eye on my front door/lawn). In these spots, I tried out all the different recording qualities and, predictably, was most satisfied with the highest quality selection. Two years of battery life is quite a long time to begin with, so I’m not too worried about running the device flat too quickly.
Accessing these settings is easy. Go to the app, then tap the three dots displayed in the corner of the camera’s view, then click device settings. If you have multiple devices set up, you may want to tap the settings icon in the bottom right corner, then access Device and System Settings, then tap the ‘System’ you want to edit, followed by ‘All Devices’, then the camera you want to modify.
All of the video quality options are quite acceptable for the price. Graininess and blurred movements are fine at this end of the market, and ultimately the quality was never so insufficient that the camera was unusable. The camera is set to ‘Standard’ mode out of the box, with lower quality ‘Saver’ mode and ‘Best’ also available. Night vision was also sufficiently capable, but it’s not presented in colour, owing to the lack of an LED light on the device.
Audio quality was fine and is most comparable to a standard intercom buzzer for an apartment. Back and forth communication is easy with microphones and speakers on both ends (on the camera and on your smartphone), but Ring fans may find it lower quality than what they’re used to. Motion sensitivity was fine, and for the duration of my review, I had it set to the default setting of five. I could turn the sensitivity up if I wished, but I found no need.
It’d be nice if the Blink Outdoor 4 had the option to view footage on a browser or computer, or any device without the smartphone app. Being limited to your small phone screen for your home security is disappointing, so hopefully this is changed at some point.
Finally, obviously the two year battery life is an estimation provided by Amazon. Unfortunately I’m not a time traveller, so I can’t provide a good estimation of my own on this – though over my two months of use, it hasn’t had any battery issues (the battery is still reportedly ‘OK’ in the app with no percentage offered). Most of my use was inside however, so I could have easily gotten by with USB-C delivered power.
Performance score: 3.5/5Should I buy the Blink Outdoor 4?Buy it if…
You want a security camera that saves locally
Though you have to bring your own storage device, the included Sync Module 2 allows you to store footage for ready access.
You want to save money
The Blink Outdoor 4 is built to save you money and you get decent value with what’s on offer.
You want a long battery life, wireless camera
Two years of battery life with two AA batteries is nothing to balk at!Don’t buy it if.
You already have a robust home security system
The Blink Outdoor 4 isn’t compatible with anything outside of the Blink ecosystem (apart from access through Alexa). It doesn’t mix with Ring, despite being owned by the same company.
You want the highest quality footage
Recording at a maximum of 1080p, the Blink Outdoor 4 doesn’t shoot the highest quality footage, and you may find videos grainy and blurry at times.
You dislike using apps only
Though the Blink camera app is quite well designed, you can’t currently access your camera system through a computer app or browser, meaning you’re limited to a smartphone or tablet display when previewing footage.Blink Outdoor 4: also consider
Blink Mini 2
A sibling to the Outdoor 4, the Mini 2 is a wired-only alternative, capable of shooting in the same resolution and sold at a cheaper price point. It might be more attractive if you intend to place the device indoors, but setting it up outside will require extra handiwork. Read our Blink Mini 2 review.
Arlo Ultra 2
Shooting at up to 4K and offering HDR night vision, the Arlo Ultra 2 is a more premium wireless outdoor camera than the Outdoor 4. That being said, its six month battery life is nothing compared to the Outdoor 4’s two years of charge, and it’s considerably more expensive. Read our Arlo Ultra 2 review.How I tested the Blink Outdoor 4
Tested it over two months in my home
Assessed the device on sound and video quality
Set it up in several different spots in several different configurations
From the moment I received the Blink Outdoor 4, I got to work testing it. I put it through its paces as a casual device, not putting it into a hardcore testing environment and instead treating it as something I would use in my own home.
For most of my review period, the Outdoor 4 was positioned at the top of my shelves, looking over my lounge room. It was given a decently lit and sized room to allow for motion and person capture, and I was given the ability to test privacy and activity zoning with a lot of freedom.
I tested audio quality by giving the camera to a friend and going to the next room, allowing us to have a conversation over the two devices. I frequently checked the camera through the app and would use it to make sure I closed my front door.
I assessed the Blink Outdoor 4 as a first time device, as somebody who has never had a home security camera.
how we test.
First reviewed December 2024

Google’s mid-ranger, Pixel 9a, has once again leaked, this time allegedly from a reliable source revealing complete specs and pricing.
With rumors suggesting an early launch, sometime in March 2025, the Google Pixel 9a has leaked once again. This time, the leak not only reveals the device’s full specifications but also the pricing of the upcoming Pixel 9a. We’ve already reported several specs of the device, and now, we have more details to ponder.
Starting off, the Pixel 9a is said to be powered by the Tensor G4 chipset, paired with the M2 Titan security chip. The device is claimed to feature a 6.285-inch Actua AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate boasting a peak brightness of 2,700 nits and a resolution of 1080×2424 (FHD+). The display could feature Gorilla Glass 3 protection with IP68 dust and water resistance.
The camera setup is likely to remain the same as the Pixel 8a. As per the leak, the Pixel 9a will feature a 48MP + 13MP dual-camera setup on the rear and a 13MP selfie camera. Notably, the 48MP main camera is said to be sourced from the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, enabling better low-light photography on the Pixel 9a. Under the hood, the Pixel 9a is tipped to be juiced by a 5,100mAh battery, which is 13% larger compared to the Pixel 8a (4,492mAh).
You will get improved charging speeds, which stand at 7.5W wireless and 23W fast wired charging. The device won’t feature Qi2 charging just like the Pixel 9 series launched this year. The Pixel 9a could launch in four colors: Obsidian, Porcelain, Iris, and Peony, mirroring the colors of the standard Pixel 9. The phone is expected to get a bit taller and wider, but weigh less than its predecessor. It would reportedly measure 154.7 x 73.3 x 8.9mm, and weigh 185.9 grams, compared to Pixel 8a which measures 152.1 x 72.7 x 8.9mm with a weight of 188 grams.
Speaking of the price, the Pixel 9a is tipped to launch for $499 for the 128GB model and could cost $50 extra for the mmWave model, likely exclusive to Verizon.
Source and images: Android Headlines

Google Maps uses dash cam footage provided by trusted partners to update Google Maps.
Google has posted a new support page for Google Maps titled «Collecting imagery from third-party providers (dash cam).» This unannounced feature for Google Maps collects images from commercial dash cams. Images from these dash cams are used to find and verify real-world changes such as new traffic signs or changes to the speed limit. The dash cam images will not be published by Google. At this point, it appears that Google is using this technique to update Google Maps in the U.K. only.
To be clear, we are talking about short, silent video clips that are recorded by dash cam cameras. The companies that these dash cam videos are sourced from use the clips for their own operations. They might use these clips when investigating accidents or these companies might sell dash cam setups to consumers. By agreeing to provide Google with imagery from the dash cams, Google receives proof that it needs to make a change to the Google Maps app.
Google says that it only requests imagery when it has an indication that an update to Google Maps is necessary in a certain area. It can ask for dash cam footage that covers a specific area of the road that, for example, includes a speed limit sign. If the trusted partner has dash cam footage showing this particular speed limit sign, Google can use it to verify whether it needs to update the speed limit it shows for this particular area in Google Maps.
Google uses a combination of AI and help from its operations team to take advantage of the information it receives from its dash cam partners. Google says that it extracts the info and updates Google Maps before deleting the imagery. Currently, Google works with two partners for dash cam imagery: Nextbase and Geopost Vision. The former is a British company that sells dash cams and the latter is a leading parcel delivery company.
Google says that it has a number of rules it adheres to in order to keep the dash cam footage private. For example, it only uses licensed content from trusted sources. Both Google and its trusted partners blur out any images that contain personal information such as license plates and identifiable faces. All contributors are told about the use of their dash cam and consumers opt in if they are okay with the practice of sharing their dash cam footage to update Google Maps. To keep with its privacy rules, Google says that it limits its requests to short clips from public roads, but only where updates are needed to Google Maps.
Will Google end up finding partners in the U.S. to work with? At this point, it isn’t clear whether Google plans to expand its use of dash cam footage to update Google Maps to other regions outside of the U.K.