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Bloomberg: Galaxy Fold redesign is complete
Still waiting for Samsung's first foldable phone? Bloomberg cites anonymous sources saying that Samsung has completed a redesign of the Galaxy Fold in just two months. The protective film now covers the entire screen and stretches into the bezel so people can't pull it off by accident, and hopefully reduce the appearance of a seam in the middle. Also, the hinge has reportedly undergone tweaking to make it flush with the display, and pushing the film up when the device is opened.
Apple once envisioned retractable bumpers for its self-driving cars
Apple once dreamed of self-driving cars with retractable bumpers. In 2015, the company filed a patent for "extendable bumpers" with the US Patent and Trademark Office. The patent was published this morning, but even if Apple were once serious about adding inflatable bumpers to its vehicles, the company has since pivoted and scaled back its Project Titan self-driving vehicle efforts.
Jony Ive reportedly felt that Tim Cook wasn’t interested in design
Jony Ive's departure was made official last week, but may have begun years ago because of Apple's shift in focus from design to operations, according to the WSJ and Bloomberg. Citing multiple unnamed sources, the reports stated that Ive was "dispirited" by Tim Cook's lack of interest in design, especially considering the close synergy he shared with former Apple CEO Steve Jobs. At the same time, Ive was coming into Apple's offices much less often than before, "straining the cohesion central to product development," the WSJ stated.
Tesla is quietly developing its own EV battery cells
Tesla has powered its electric cars using Panasonic's battery cells for years, but it may ready for a greater degree of independence going forward. Employees talking to CNBC claim that Tesla is developing its own "advanced" lithium-ion battery cells as well as the processes to manufacture them at scale. The company reportedly conducts some of its research at a "skunkworks" facility minutes away from its Fremont plant.
Bacteria from your gut may be the key to running farther
What separates average athletes from elite ones? Aside from years and years of training, dedication to the craft and natural advantages, it may have to do with what is in your gut. In a paper published this week in Nature Medicine, researchers from the Wyss Institute at Harvard revealed that a particular type of bacteria called Veillonella was found in higher quantities in marathon runners. That bacteria could lead to better performance.
The new Raspberry Pi 4 is ready for 4K video
Like the Raspberry Pi but wish it had a little more oomph for your homebrew projects? The Pi Foundation might have what you need. The newly released Raspberry Pi 4 Model B mates the familiar tiny computer-on-a-board design with purportedly "ground-breaking" boosts to performance, particularly for media. Thanks to both a newer 1.5GHz quad-core Broadcom processor with H.265 decoding, two micro-HDMI ports and up to 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM (more on that in a bit), the Pi 4 can output 4K video at 60 frames per second. This could theoretically serve as a modern DIY media hub, and the Raspberry Pi Foundation even claims that it's fast enough to compete with "entry-level" x86 PCs.
A rogue Raspberry Pi helped hackers access NASA JPL systems
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) suffers from multiple cybersecurity weaknesses despite the advances it has achieved in space technology, according to the agency's Office of Inspector General (PDF). Investigators looked into the research center's network security controls after an April 2018 security breach, wherein a Raspberry Pi that was not authorized to be linked to the JPL network was targeted by hackers. The attackers were able to steal 500 megabytes of data from one of its major mission systems, and they also used that chance to find a gateway that allowed them to go deeper into JPL's network.
Intel's Performance Maximizer tool overclocks CPUs with one click
Intel has launched a new feature designed to make overclocking more straightforward. Called the "Intel Performance Maximizer," the tool examines your processor's individual settings, then uses what Intel calls "hyper-intelligent automation" to tweak them for a performance boost. Basically, it's overclocking without having to fiddle around with custom settings in BIOS yourself.
Google takes control of bringing next-gen texting to Android
Google's rollout of RCS chat to Android devices has been slow, and you can blame that partly on the carriers. As the next-gen texting format usually depends on networks adding support one at a time, compatibility has been patchy at best. Now, though, Google is ready to take matters into its own hands -- the internet giant will offer RCS services to Android users in the UK and France later in June, giving them an opt-in choice through the platform's Messages app. The company's Drew Rowny explained it to The Verge as a sort of peer-to-peer end run around the carrier-driven model.
MIT's new robot can identify things by sight and by touch
For humans, it's easy to predict how an object will feel by looking at it or tell what an object looks like by touching it, but this can be a big challenge for machines. Now, a new robot developed by MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) is attempting to do just that.
Google just revealed the Pixel 4 on Twitter
Well, this is a new one. Google has decided to beat smartphone leakers at their own game by showing off the Pixel 4's back and camera on its own @madebygoogle Twitter account. The image shows a square-ish camera module, presumably one that will hold multiple lenses -- that'll be a first for a Pixel phone. This comes right on the heels of a leak showing a similar design.
A 'Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild' sequel is in development
Nintendo closed out this year's Nintendo Direct as E3 with quite the surprise sneak peek: an early look at the next Legend of Zelda game. While plot details and game play are of course, under wraps, the video showed Link and Zelda exploring a cave and coming upon a desiccated corpse which promptly glows with evil. The preview explicitly called it the sequel to Breath of the Wild. No release date was given, but hopefully we'll hear more throughout the show.
Uber Copter's $200 flights launch in NYC on July 9th
Uber's autonomous flying taxis aren't ready to take flight yet, but according to a report in the New York Times, it will offer air transit starting July 9th. Uber Copter will be available in New York City first, to Uber Rewards members who've obtained Platinum and Diamond status. Unsurprisingly, the rides will have dynamic pricing that changes based on demand, but the average ride will cost between $200 and $225, according to Uber Elevate's Nikhil Goel.
A $999 monitor stand is everything wrong with Apple today
You can pinpoint the exact moment when Apple lost the WWDC audience on Monday. John Ternus, the company's VP of hardware engineering, had just revealed that the Pro Display XDR, its new high-end 6K monitor, will cost $4,999. That's pricey, but reasonable considering all of the features it offers. But then there was one more thing, and not the good kind. One hour, forty two minutes and five seconds into the keynote stream, he revealed that the Pro Display's stand is a separate $999 purchase. The crowd, which was mostly enthusiastic until then, erupted into cautious murmurs -- enough to make Ternus stammer as he continued on. He was completely unprepared for the Apple faithful to question the glorious technology being bestowed upon them.
Our first look at the new Mac Pro and Pro XDR 6K display
Apple just wrapped its two-hour-plus WWDC keynote, and though it was mostly focused on the company's software, it was two pieces of hardware news that ultimately stole the show. The company finally debuted its long-awaited new Mac Pro and with it, a $5,000, 32-inch 6K Retina display, the Pro XDR. (That's short for Extreme Dynamic Range, har har.) Neither device will be available until the fall, but we did find both of them set up inside a demo area today at the conference. Before you get too excited, these were hands-off demos; Apple doesn't want a bunch of know-nothings like us trying their hands at pro-grade apps they've never used, only to write about how the new machine looks like a cheese grater. (It totally looks like a cheese grater.) So for now, what we have here is a hands-off, eyes-only look, in the form of photos.
Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass is coming to PC
PC players, rejoice: Microsoft is bringing its previously console-centric subscription service, Xbox Game Pass, to Windows 10. The company is promising a new, "curated library" with more than 100 titles from various third-party developers including Bethesda, Deep Silver, Devolver Digital, Paradox Interactive and Sega. That's a big increase on the current crop of PC-compatible titles (made possible via Microsoft's Play Anywhere initiative) that are currently offered with the console-focused Game Pass. Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, also confirmed the company's "intent" to make first-party exclusives available through the new, PC-specific Game Pass on the same day as their general release. These include upcoming titles from Obsidian Entertainment, inXile Entertainment, and the other studios that Microsoft bought last year. Subscribers will also get a few other perks including discounts of up to 20 percent for games in the Microsoft Store.
'Pokémon Go' gamified walking, so now 'Pokémon Sleep' scores your naps
So how will the Pokémon Company follow up the success of Niantic's Pokémon Go? At a press conference today they revealed Pokémon Sleep, a new mobile game that tracks your time sleeping to unlock new characters. It's being made by Pokémon Magikarp developer Select Button. There's also some new hardware with a Pokémon Go Plus + that works as a sleep tracker thanks to its integrated accelerometry, and also works just like the $35 Pokémon Go Plus accessory for use with that game.
'Firewatch' publisher's Playdate gaming handheld has a crank
Now here's an entrant in the game console wars that you didn't see coming. Veteran software developer Panic (best known for writing Transmit and publishing Firewatch) has unveiled a handheld game system, Playdate, that aims to break the rules of game consoles. Most conspicuously, it has a hand crank -- you'll have to treat your system like a fishing rod to play some titles. It looks silly, but Panic is clearly betting that the added whimsy will help it stand out. There's a black-and-white screen, too, so the creators (including Teenage Engineering) are undoubtedly counting on a bit of Game Boy-style nostalgia for simpler times.
Ford wants this creepy robot to bring its autonomous deliveries to your door
Autonomous deliveries and self-driving vehicles may be the future, but there are still a few gaps that need to be addressed -- namely that it's not always possible for people to leave their homes to retrieve deliveries from the roadside (and if you're hungover and ordering take out, you definitely don't want to). Ford is working on a solution for this final stretch, though, and it's come right out of a sci-fi movie.
Sony just laid out everything there is to know about the PS5
Sony's next-generation console isn't due to launch anytime this year, but the tech giant has been surprisingly generous with details. During a corporate strategy presentation, the company has listed all the information it has revealed so far, confirming yet again that the PS5 will have backwards compatibility. Since it has a similar architecture to the PS4, it will be able to play games designed for the current-gen console and will also be compatible with the current version of PlayStation VR.
