What to expect from Samsung's next foldable phone

It's Thursday, August 05, 2021.

For years, Samsung’s Galaxy Note was the centerpiece of the company’s summer phone launches, but times have changed. There’s no new Note this year, and Samsung will instead focus on the new Galaxy Z Flip and Fold, as well as a stylus to work with these devices. We’ll also see a new flagship wearable (and a new OS to go with it) and a new pair of true wireless stereo earbuds. At least, that’s what the rumor mill says, so peer through our latest guide on what’s going to make its debut next week.

— Dan Cooper

Sony might have shown off its next-gen VR headset already

Optional VR support for all major PS5 games?

On Tuesday, Sony reportedly revealed more specifics about the headset at a developer's summit, teasing details beyond performance, resolution and streamlined cabling.

Apparently codenamed next-gen VR (NGVR), it may feature controllers with capacitive touch sensors that sense the distance to your fingers — like the sensor on Nintendo’s JoyCon — but far more sophisticated. The headset will apparently offer a bigger 110-degree view, with flexible scaling resolution and tapping eye-tracking to improve resolution where you're looking.

Sony told developers it's planning optional VR support for all AAA releases, so you could play them either in VR or on your TV, although it’s not clear whether this would mean a first-person perspective, like Resident Evil 7 or Hitman, or simply a headset-based view of what you’d see on your TV. Continue Reading.

Heatworks opens pre-orders for its plumbing-free countertop dishwasher

The company is offering a $100 discount for early birds.

Heatworks

Heatworks’ Tetra tabletop dishwasher was initially unveiled in the before times, back at CES 2018, and it’s taken until now for the machine to arrive on the market. Its (not-so) novel concept is to do your dishes from your kitchen counter, no need for plumbing. Just fill its onboard water tank, add a custom detergent cartridge and set it going, with the company saying it uses a lot less water and energy than washing dishes.

Unfortunately, its small size means you’ll only be able to clean three place settings’ worth of crockery per cycle, but if your home can’t accommodate a full-size unit, this one may be worth a look. Continue Reading.

Facebook disables accounts of NYU team looking into political ad targeting

Researchers say they examined ‘systemic flaws’ in how Facebook’s ad library worked.

Sundry Photography via Getty Images

Facebook, once again, finds itself in deep waters after shutting down accounts used by a team of NYU researchers looking into political advertising. The project was designed to examine, by trawling through the company’s extensive ad libraries, how political advertisers target individual users. The social network said it had no choice but to lock the team out after it had violated the site’s rules on data-scraping. NYU, meanwhile, said Facebook was prompted to act because it didn’t want third parties finding problems in its systems. Continue Reading.

Nissan's Leaf S is now the cheapest EV in the US

It's cheaper with more range.

Nissan has unveiled its 2022 Leaf with more standard features and a lower base price that makes it the cheapest EV in the US. The new basic model, the Leaf S with a 40-kWh battery, costs $27,400 or $28,375 including the destination charge — that’s $20,875 if you qualify for the $7,500 federal tax credit.

Compared to its closest competition, that’s cheaper than the $29,900 Mini SE and can go farther, too, with 149 miles of range versus 114. Continue Reading.

Amazon delays 'New World' MMO again, this time to September 28th

‘New World,’ old news.

Amazon has delayed New World mere weeks before its previously announced August 31st release date. It will now arrive about a month later, on September 28th, so Amazon Game Studios can spend an extra few weeks polishing, fixing bugs and improving stability. For those keeping count, this is New World's fourth delay.

Amazon announced the game's first major delay after taking the unusual step of rolling back the availability of Crucible, its first AAA title. It later ended the development of that game. Before taking over as CEO of Amazon, Andy Jassy told employees he was committed to the studio. Continue Reading.

Intel has a plan to go beyond 3nm chips

It’s aiming to recover its ‘unquestioned leadership’

Intel

Intel has not had a great five or six years, with its own processes failing just as competitors leap ahead with new manufacturing processes. The company’s new CEO, Pat Gelsinger, has a plan to get Intel back to where it was, with some ambitious new chip plans. In the latest episode of Upscaled, our silicon expert Chris Schodt delves into what’s going on, and explains why, if Gelsinger succeeds, we’ll all be talking about 20-Angstrom chips in the near future. Continue Reading.

But wait, there’s more...

T-Mobile to shut Sprint's LTE network by June 30, 2022

A star fragment is flying out of our galaxy at nearly two million miles per hour

Samsung's 12.4-inch Galaxy Tab S7 FE 5G will cost $669

Vudu and FandangoNow merge into a single streaming service

Tencent limits how long kids can play its flagship game, 'Honor of Kings'

The 2021 New York International Auto Show is canceled

Ghost of Tsushima's co-op multiplayer mode is getting a standalone release