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The Morning After: Tuesday, May 16th 2017

iPhone 8 renders, HTC's new flagship phone and Toyota's flying car project.

Richard Lawler
Senior News Editor
Updated ·3 min read
0
X-Files (Fox)

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

Squeezable smartphones, perhaps our first look at the glass-backed, iPhone 8 (don't worry, unrelated), and the death of the graphing calculator? All this, and we're only on Tuesday morning. Oh, and Toyota is musing on flying cars.

But can it play Drug Wars?Desmos app could kill off the graphing calculator

Overpaying for graphing calculators has been a rite of passage for as long as any millennials can remember, but the reign of the TI-84 may be coming to an end. That's because of a new online calculator called Desmos that can run on any connected device and provide similar features. There are other internet-based calculators, but this one is embedded in the test itself and has backing from SAT administrator The College Board.

Squeezy phone.HTC's squeezable U11 is its true 2017 flagship phone

After releasing the U Ultra, HTC is again attempting a top of the line smartphone with the U11. The specs behind its 5.5-inch curved Gorilla Glass display are just on par with other flagship devices, but the standout gimmick here is Edge Sense. Side-mounted pressure sensors can detect varying levels of grip and respond with associated shortcuts or app actions. Also, it can run up to three virtual assistants at once, with support for Google Assistant, Alexa and HTC's own Sense Assistant. Finally, it loses the headphone jack but includes USB-C connected headphones that handle customized audio, as well as noise-canceling that runs off of the phone's battery.

It's the Shazam of foodThe ridiculous Not Hotdog app from 'Silicon Valley' is real

These days it's even more difficult to tell parody apps from the real ones.

Android in autoVolvo and Audi are building Android into their new cars

Ahead of the Google I/O event later this week, Volvo and Audi have announced plans to base their next-generation infotainment systems on Android. There aren't a lot of details yet, but the partnership promises support for Google Assistant, Google Maps and Android apps like Spotify running directly on the car's hardware without requiring an Android Auto hand-holding from your phone.

ExclusiveiPhone 8 renders point to glass back and wireless charging

A reliable source in the accessory industry has told us that these renders represent Apple's iPhone 8. If they hold up, they point to a new vertical orientation for the dual-camera setup, with the microphone and flash integrated into the camera hump. They also suggest that the dual-camera and wireless charging will be a standard feature, but we'll have to wait until this fall to find out for sure -- and to see the rumored tenth anniversary iPhone.

Meet the 'Skydrive'Toyota wants flying cars in time for the 2020 Olympics

Larry Page isn't the only one with a thing for flying cars -- Toyota is backing a small startup working on a drone-like vehicle. The Skydrive from Cartivator would lift about 33 feet off of the ground and scoot along at up to 62mph. The plan is to have commercial versions ready ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. That seems optimistic, but it could provide one more reason to snag a ticket now instead of waiting.

But wait, there's more...

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