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The Morning After: Tuesday, February 28 2017

Rolling with Handle, the new Boston Dynamics robot.

Engadget

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

It's Tuesday. That means Boston Dynamics has unveiled a new robot harbinger of death, there are more new smartphones and we have an idea who screwed up at the Oscars. In more encouraging news, we checked in with some very charitable gamers, and mobile carriers keep making their data plans better. Keep an eye on the site today for more dispatches from MWC, as well as our reports from the Game Developers Conference.


Phones and more phonesAll the news from Mobile World Congress

MWC 2017 is in full swing, and our team in Barcelona is digging up all the information you need to know. Looking for a head-to-head comparison of the LG G6, Sony Xperia XZ Premium, Huawei P10, Nokia 6 Arte Black Edition and BlackBerry Keyone? We've got you. Hands-on time with the new motion controller for Samsung's Gear VR? Say no more. Oh, and of course, the highlights from every big press event condensed into one six minute video. You're welcome.


AT&T vs. T-Mobile, round whateverThe unlimited data wars rage on

Oh, you thought it was over? Yesterday two mobile carriers continued to make minor adjustments in their battle for unlimited data supremacy. First, AT&T rolled out an Unlimited Plus package with 10GB of tethering and 22GB of high-speed data (before throttling kicks in) for $90 per month, plus some credits for DirecTV subscribers. T-Mobile quickly responded, however, with a promotion allowing customers with two lines to add a third one for free. That could be a phone, or it could be the data plan that links up your car, tablet or smartwatch. The only question now is what's next?


No strings on meRaspberry Pi Zero W packs WiFi and Bluetooth for $10

The Raspberry Pi Zero's cheap-but-powerful computing has powered many maker projects, but networking adapters could be inconvenient. Now there's a version with Bluetooth and 802.11n wireless aboard the credit card-sized computer. Of course, it also costs twice as much as the original Zero model, but at just $10 we doubt there will be many complaints.


You had one jobIt's possible that a tweet was responsible for that Oscars Best Picture screw-up

If you're still wondering how Warren Beatty could end up with the wrong envelope to present the biggest Academy Award of the night, we may have an answer. The Wall Street Journal reports that the PricewaterhouseCoopers accountant in charge of making the hand-off was busy tweeting a pic of Emma Stone instead. That led to Faye Dunaway announcing La La Land as the winner instead of Moonlight, and then everything got really awkward. Oops.


Boston Dynamics' latest robot swaps out the peg legs for wheelsMeet 'Handle.'

We got an early look at Handle last month via a leaked video, but now you can check out rolling, jumping, spinning automaton in all its direct-feed glory. Capable of leaping 4 feet in the air and moving along at up to 9mph, it can still easily handle obstacles like snowy terrain and stairs, so adjust your getaway plans during a robot apocalypse accordingly.

But wait, there's more...

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