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There’s finally a Roomba that can empty itself
Since 2002, iRobot's Roomba has been something of a status symbol: a robot vacuum that can clean your floors while you sit back and relax. It's steadily become better and more efficient at cleaning since it debuted -- the last flagship model, the Roomba 980, added floor mapping three years ago. But once your Roomba finishes up, you still have to unload the dustbin manually. It's a stark reminder that we haven't reached the automated cleaning utopia of The Jetsons. That changes with the $949 Roomba i7+ -- it's smarter than ever before, and it can unload up to 30 dirty bins on its own without any help. Rosie the Robot, here we come.
Russians say ISS air leak could be a result of sabotage
Last Thursday, NASA informed the public that there was an air pressure leak aboard the International Space Station. It was extremely small and posed no immediate danger to astronauts. Flight controllers worked with the astronauts to determine that there was what appeared to be a drill hole aboard an attached Soyuz capsule that the astronauts attempted to patch. Now, the Russians are investigating sabotage as a possibility.
Samsung's foldable smartphone teased for November reveal
Samsung's foldable smartphone has been in the works for years, but now it looks like we're finally going to get a sneak peek of the technology within the next couple of months. Speaking to CNBC at the IFA electronics show in Berlin last week, Samsung Mobile's CEO DJ Koh said it's "time to deliver" on the long-promised device, and that it could be unveiled at the Samsung Developer Conference in November. Strong emphasis on the could, though -- Samsung does have a history of bigging up its plans.
Apple acquires a startup that's developing AR lenses
A Bloomberg report from 2017 once claimed that Apple is developing AR glasses slated to start shipping in 2020. The tech giant didn't confirm or deny the report, but based on its latest acquisition, all signs point to yes. Apple has snapped up Akonia Holographics, a Longmont, Colorado-based startup focusing on the development of lenses for augmented reality glasses. The company has confirmed the purchase to Reuters, but refused to elaborate any further: "Apple buys smaller companies from time to time," a spokesperson told the publication, "and we generally don't discuss our purpose or plans."
Google's Wear OS no longer feels like Android on a smartwatch
Google is ready to unveil a shiny new version of Wear OS at last. This is the third major release of the platform (the first since rebranding to Wear OS), and Google finally shows an understanding that what people want from a smartwatch is not a phone replacement. They want a reliable daily assistant and coach that is fast and unobtrusive. The new system doesn't have obvious battery life enhancements, though, which is still a major pain that the industry has yet to solve. It may be up to Google's partners to figure that out for themselves.
Stream all of your favorite Nickelodeon classics for $6 per month
Streaming service VRV is now home to a slew of Nickelodeon throwbacks. With a new streaming channel called NickSplat, VRV is offering users access to shows like All That, Doug, Rocko's Modern Life, CatDog, Clarissa Explains It All, Kenan & Kel, Legends of the Hidden Temple, Salute Your Shorts, Are You Afraid of the Dark? and The Wild Thornberrys. In all, there are 21 titles available at launch with more on the way.
Microsoft launches Xbox All Access with two-year console financing
The rumors are true: Today, Microsoft announced an all-inclusive service called Xbox All Access. For $22 per month over two years, Microsoft will provide you with an Xbox One S console, access to over 100 games thanks to Xbox Game Pass and an Xbox Live Gold subscription. If you want an Xbox One X, then you'll shell out $35 per month. This offer is only available in Microsoft stores.
It's official: Playing as Oddjob in 'GoldenEye' was cheating
I thought this secret would go to the grave with me, but alas, my hand has been forced -- I have a confession to make. Back in gaming's early glory days, when Rare's seminal Nintendo 64 first-person shooter GoldenEye was the only game that really mattered, I would always play as Oddjob against my younger (clueless) sister. I told her the only reason she couldn't hit me was because her aim was rubbish and I was just better than her, but I knew it my heart this was a lie. Now the game's creators have ratted me out.
Finally, a cheap smartphone with true flagship power
Xiaomi is one of the most respected smartphone brands in India, but apparently that wasn't not good enough. Earlier today, the Chinese phone maker launched a new sub-brand called Pocophone, which in turn revealed its new F1 smartphone. Normally, we wouldn't get too worked up over this kind of news, but as it turns out, Pocophone's F1 is a fascinating little machine.
NASA confirms the presence of ice at the moon's poles
There's water ice on the surface of the moon, a team of scientists has confirmed, and future expeditions could harvest it for human settlements. They used data collected by NASA's Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) instrument aboard India's Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft to prove its presence and found ice deposits at the moon's poles. The idea that Earth's natural satellite has pockets of ice hiding in the shadows permanently hidden from the sun isn't anything new -- previous probes sent back data containing evidence of their existence. However, NASA says this is the "first time scientists have directly observed definitive evidence" that there's water ice on what people previously thought was a barren space rock.
Huawei caught passing off DSLR pictures as phone camera samples
Huawei doesn't have the best track record when it comes to advertising. Campaigns for both its P8 and P9 phones were revealed to be at least a little dishonest, and it seems the advertising around its newest launch, the Nova 3, falls into the same category.
Samsung's Exynos modem will make 5G phones real
Samsung has unveiled a 5G modem that meets all the latest standards and can hit 6Gbps mmWave speeds. The Exynos Modem 5100, built using Samsung's 10-nanometer process, conforms to the latest 3GPP release 15 spec for sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G spectrums. At the same time, it's compatible with current 2G, 3G and LTE standards, with speeds as high as 1.6Gbps on advanced 4G networks.
US bans government personnel from using Huawei and ZTE devices
US government employees, contractors and agencies might have to ditch most of their Huawei and ZTE tech. The President has signed the Defense Authorization Act into law, and part of it is a ban on devices and equipment used to route or view user data made by the two companies and some other Chinese manufacturers. Government contractors can still use components that don't handle user data in any way. But since they still have to get rid of existing parts and devices that do, the law includes a directive for agencies to prioritize funding for businesses that have to replace their equipment.
Vimeo is the latest platform to remove InfoWars's Alex Jones
Vimeo has joined services like Facebook, YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts and removed InfoWars's Alex Jones from its platform. According to Business Insider, new videos uploaded Thursday and Friday violated the site's Terms of Service for "discriminatory and hateful content." A spokesperson said, ""we do not want to profit from content of this nature in any way" and issued a refund to Jones.
Get your own HAL-9000 replica with Bluetooth and voice command
Sci-fi fans rejoice: You can now talk to your very own replica of the iconic HAL-9000 computer from Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C Clarke's seminal film, 2001: A Space Odyssey. Master Replicas Group has already achieved 358 percent funding on this Indiegogo project, which includes two versions of the iconic device.
France bans smartphones in schools
Under new legislation, French students will be prohibited from using smartphones and tablets while at school. The law, which was originally noted in President Emmanuel Macron's election campaign, was elevated to a matter of public health amidst concerns French youth has become super-connected.
Apple may include support for a second SIM card in new iPhones
Could Apple be planning on support for dual SIM cards with the new iPhone? It's possible. 9to5Mac was taking iOS 12 developer beta 5 out for a test drive and noticed something interesting in diagnostic report generation. There are clearly references to a "second SIM status."
Samsung's 'unbreakable' display survives UL scrutiny
Phone makers have promised unbreakable phone screens for years, but they tend to involve awkward compromises like soft, scratchable surfaces. Samsung Display might just fulfill that promise, though. Underwriters Laboratories certified an "unbreakable" Samsung panel (not yet pictured) as capable of surviving military-grade durability tests without damage. This included dropping it 26 times from a height of four feet and subjecting it to extreme temperatures. It even survived a drop test at 6 feet without any battle scars. Update: Samsung Display posted a video of its new screen, showing how its lightweight plastic cover compares to traditional glass. In the video it survives several strikes from a hammer with no damage to show for it.
Scientists may have found liquid water on Mars
Today, scientists announced that they have detected what could be a large reservoir of liquid water under the surface of Mars. The "lake" measures 20-km across and is located about 1.5 km below Mars's southern polar ice cap. An article about the discovery was published in the journal Science.
Russian hackers are inside US utility networks
Russian hackers infiltrated the control rooms of US utility companies last year, reaching a point where they "could have thrown switches," The Wall Street Journal reports. The paper cites officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirming that the hackers -- from a state-sponsored group previously known as Dragonfly or Energetic Bear -- gained access to allegedly secure networks, where they could have caused blackouts.
