The Morning After: Tuesday, December 19th 2017
Holidays are coming.
Good morning! This morning we wait with bated breath for a phone screen that will heal itself, test out Amazon's adorable Echo Spot and kick off our year in review coverage.
Over the next two weeks, we'll be looking back on the year that was, and sharing our hopes and predictions for 2018. Join us as we place our bets on AI, algorithms, social-media regulations, green tech, streaming services, robotics, self-driving cars and even space taxis. And, of course, since we're Engadget, you can expect to hear about the upcoming products and games we're most excited about.
A new polymer could make phone-screen repairs a thing of the past
Researchers in Tokyo have discovered a new polymer that may actually heal itself, potentially leading the way to a future of self-healing phone screens. The research promises a unique hard glass-like polymer called polyether-thioureas, which can heal itself with only hand pressure. This makes it different to other materials that typically need high heat to repair cracks and breaks. The funny part? The special polymer was discovered by mistake by a graduate student, Yu Yanagisawa, who thought the material would become a type of glue.
Amazon Echo Spot review: as smart as it is cute
If you want Alexa in a device that looks like a cool alarm clock then the Echo Spot is it. Its touchscreen display is also pretty useful, as its adds additional context and visual information, and it's great for video calls, too. It's not perfect, especially when $20 more can get you the bigger Echo Show, which also has better audio skills. The Echo Spot is great, but we'd hold off a little for a price drop.
The best Engadget stories of 2017
It's been a long year, but beside all the phone reviews, social-media messes and the rest, Engadget has continued to tackle some of the more unusual parts of this tech world. Or just simply calling out political figures' lack of science comprehension.
There was a fake version of 'Cuphead' on the App Store
Early Monday, a fake version of Xbox indie hit Cuphead appeared on Apple's iOS App Store, with a $4.99 price tag and, well, nothing to do with the actual game itself. Apple moved to take down the game before midday ET, but it demonstrates the struggle for both games developers and the iPhone maker when it comes to tackling fakes.
But wait, there's more...
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