When Google hosted Google I/O this year, a segment of the event was dedicated to the company pushing on Apple to adopt RCS, a new messaging standard that is replacing SMS and MMS across Android devices.
Apple hasn’t responded to the pressure yet and continues to only support SMS and MMS when an iPhone and Android device is texting each other. That silence has apparently led Google to launch a new campaign called “Get the Message”:
It’s not about the color of the bubbles. It’s the blurry videos, broken group chats, missing read receipts and typing indicators, no texting over Wi-Fi, and more. These problems exist because Apple refuses to adopt modern texting standards when people with iPhones and Android phones text each other.
What should Apple do instead?
Google says that the solution to broken messaging between iPhone and Android is RCS, a newer messaging technology that brings higher resolution to photos and videos, message reactions, and higher levels of privacy.
Apple turns texts between iPhones and Android phones into SMS and MMS, out-of-date technologies from the 90s and 00s. But Apple can adopt RCS—the modern industry standard—for these threads instead. Solving the problem without changing your iPhone to iPhone conversations and making messaging better for everyone.
Google says that by switching to RCS, Apple would fix the following problems when messaging between iOS and Android:
Blurry photos and videos
Inability to leave group conversations
Problems sending text messages over Wi-Fi
Lack of end-to-end encryption
Inability to turn on read receipts
Hard to read due to the poor color contrast with green bubbles
While many of us use an iPhone and enjoy all of the above features, that immediately falls off when we message someone with an Android phone. RCS brings back a lot of the iMessage-specific features to all of us who need to communicate across operating systems.
You can learn more about Google’s “Get the Message” campaign on its website.
The blue and green bubble controversy is real. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you probably don’t use an iPhone–or, you don’t use one to send text messages to anyone else who doesn’t use an iPhone. If you did, their messages would appear in little green bubbles, a sign that even though you’re using the Messages app, many of the features you get when you send iMessages to another iPhone user aren’t available.
A lot has been written about the whole green bubble situation, including claims that Apple uses the green bubbles in order to flag non-iPhone users as second-class messaging partners on its platform. If that sounds ridiculous, consider that the stigma is real.
Mostly that’s because sending messages from an iPhone to any other device is a really bad experience. Your messages are sent and received as basic text messages, instead of using Apple’s encrypted protocol, which is called iMessage. I know, it’s confusing–iMessage is the service, and Messages is the app where you send messages, both text and iMessages.
When you send messages in the Messages app that aren’t iMessages, many of the features you might be used to aren’t supported–or at least, not supported well. You can’t reply in threads if someone in the group is on Android. You can’t add someone to a group. Tap backs–the feature that lets you “like” or “heart” a message–still don’t quite work right. They’ve gotten better but only because Google has made an effort to improve the experience–not Apple.
The point is that sending messages to someone with green bubbles is just a poor overall experience. Considering that sending text messages, in general, is something most iPhone users do a few dozen, or a hundred times a day, that’s a big problem.
The alternative, according to Google, is RCS, which stands for Rich Communications Services. It’s supposed to be the successor to the antiquated SMS protocol that made text messaging possible–in 1992.
The problem–again, according to Google–is that Apple isn’t playing nice and won’t adopt RCS, thereby forcing us all to live with a far worse messaging experience. The company even created a website to encourage people to “send a message to Apple” to “fix texting.”
“It’s not about the color of the bubbles,” the website says. “It’s the blurry videos, broken group chats, missing read receipts and typing indicators, no texting over Wi-Fi, and more. These problems exist because Apple refuses to adopt modern texting standards when people with iPhones and Android phones text each other.”
Except, and this is important, it’s not really worse if you only send messages to people with iPhones. If everyone you send text messages to uses iMessage, everything is great.
Of course, in the real world, there are a little more than 1.5 billion iOS devices and something like 3 billion Android devices. That means there’s a good chance you’ll eventually have to send a message to a coworker, or a friend, or a random family member who bought the least expensive smartphone they could find at the Verizon store.
When that happens, the experience is really terrible.
Although, now that we’ve mentioned Verizon, it’s interesting that Google doesn’t mention the nation’s largest wireless carrier. Verizon wasn’t exactly championing RCS–none of the major carriers were. Google basically took over the initiative to make it happen. It mostly worked, even Samsung now uses Google’s Messages app as the default option.
Of course, iMessage isn’t just a better experience for iPhone users. It’s also better for Apple since–as the company has previously acknowledged–it creates lock-in. Parents spend more money buying their high school student an iPhone since they want them to have iMessage. Friends feel peer pressure if their text messages show up in green bubbles. There are even stories that people are intentionally left out of group chats because they aren’t using an iPhone.
All of that pressure is a real reason people buy iPhones, which means Apple’s incentive isn’t to change–it’s to keep people buying iPhones. Apple could absolutely fix the things that are wrong with Messages, but that would require giving up some of its competitive advantages.
Here’s the thing: RCS basically includes all of the best features of the iMessage service–with the exception that it’s not end-to-end encrypted. It is, however, substantially better than SMS with the added benefit that it would also be agnostic towards the specific messaging app you use.
There’s a powerful lesson here, which is that sometimes doing the best thing for your customers means giving up a little control. It means making the experience better, even when it means you give up some of your competitive advantage.
To be clear, I don’t want to. I think we would all be better off not thinking about this video game’s plasticine-looking people in the throes of passion. But society cannot progress unless we tackle the hard questions, and I aim to leave this world better than I found it.
Developed by Two Point Studios, Two Point Campus is a university management game that allows you to build and run a hallowed institution of higher learning. Running courses such as Knight School, Internet History, and Virtual Normality, your task is to create the optimal conditions for students to thrive. It’s an enjoyable game that will scratch an itch for any management simulation fan.
Providing classrooms and teachers isn’t the only thing you have to look after, though. You’re also in charge of their wellbeing, having to provide food, shelter, and entertainment for the entire student body.
Unfortunately, this includes supplying a designated bed for them to bang in.
From scrubs to schools
If you’ve played its 2018 predecessor Two Point Hospital, Two Point Campus will be very familiar. From its Wallace and Gromit-esque character design to Two Point Radio’s eclectic DJs, much of Two Point Campus is instantly recognizable. The majority of the gameplay is largely identical as well, with both Two Point Campus and Hospital requiring you to build specialized facilities, hire skilled personnel, and cater to numerous clients with differing needs.
Even so, there are some notable changes, one of the most significant being Two Point Campus‘timeline. While Two Point Hospital does have an end of year award ceremony, Two Point Campus has a clear class schedule throughout the entire year, which runs from August to July.
Once you hit summer break, school doesn’t resume until you allow it, giving you time to build new rooms, hire new staff, and plan for the coming year. Two Point Campus also doesn’t let you take on new scholars until the start of the new school year, and they stay for several years (unless they’re expelled or drop out).
SEE ALSO:
‘The Sims 4’ bug mistakenly enables incest
Managing people’s moods is a significant part of the game too, as students’ ability to learn and thus their grades are influenced by their happiness. Miserable people aren’t terribly good at studying, after all. You’ll therefore be spending much of the school year micromanaging, scheduling parties, then assigning students Private Tutoring once they’re happy enough.
Thus, in order to be a top university, you have to provide facilities to address student needs such as hunger, thirst, hygiene, entertainment, and, of course, relationships.
This brings us to the sex bed.
The Sex Bed (aka the Double Jump Bed)
No shoes, no shirt, no jumping, no privacy. Credit: Mashable
To be fair, this plush pink monstrosity it isn’t explicitly marketed as a sex bed. Called the “Double Jump Bed,” it’s ostensibly for Sweethearts to jump on together, which upgrades their relationship from level 3 to 4 and turns them into Soulmates.
But, look. It’s pretty clear what the Double Jump Bed is really there for. It’s bright pink and covered in hearts. There’s an equally pink trunk at the foot of the bed, which is also covered in hearts. It’s designed for two people to bounce on. We all get the euphemism.
There’s a lot going on here, but one of the main issues is that the setup of this place is a bedroom. So unless you build an entirely separate room just for the sex bed, you end up having all these normal single beds in this room, then this one bright pink sex bed as the focal point like the setup of an incredibly uncomfortable experimental theater piece.
For the record, students do not appear deterred from using the sex bed even when it’s placed in a row with many other, non-sex beds.
This could be my own fault. A less utilitarian university administrator might create dozens of tiny dorms to circumvent such situations, rather than cramming all the beds into one big room like an army barracks. however Two Point Campus‘students tend to prefer communal sleeping arrangements, meaning mitigating the potential for exhibitionism would only be for my own comfort.
Students even share beds, with one bed required for every five students. This makes sense from a game design perspective — it wouldn’t be much fun to have an entire campus building dedicated to hundreds of beds. Unfortunately, the result is that I’m running a university with over 100 students and one sex bed. This is not maths that I want to contemplate.
I know that this is not what Two Point Campus wanted me to focus on. But at the same time, if you orchestrate the situation such that I’m compelled to put a bright pink heart-adorned sex bed in the middle of a grubby student dorm, you can’t be surprised if I fixate on that a little bit .
Requesting permission to bang
Fuzzy duck, ducky fuzz. Credit: Mashable
An interesting aspect of the sex bed is that, if you do not have one of these without mattresses on campus, students have absolutely no qualms formally requesting one. Personally, I cannot conceive of a situation where asking your university’s dean for furniture on which to bang wouldn’t immediately result in devastating psychic damage to all involved. Yet the Two Point universe appears to be free of such shame, for better or for worse.
The Double Jump Bed is one of many items students may request to achieve personal goals or complete assignments, along with Scientography Bookcases, entire Ramen Kiosks, or even the ostentatiously decorated Lover’s Bench. Just as a sex bed is required for intimate moments, apparently some students can’t confess their love unless seated on a bench adorned with pink hearts. (I’ve spent about 15 hours in the game, but have yet to unlock any emotional maturity courses.)
However, many of these items need to be unlocked with in-game currency Kudosh. Not to be confused with your money, which you earn from tuition fees and use to build and staff your university, Kudosh is a separate currency which you earn by completing objectives and challenges. Such challenges range from leveling up students, to developing new romances, to earning $1 million in rent from your students. Who, I will remind you, all share one big room with a designated bang bed.
SEE ALSO:
Two new features in ‘Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’ combine to let you form biker clubs
In the first few maps I found I wasn’t earning enough Kudosh to fulfill these requests, turning the game into a frustrating exercise in watching my students’ admittedly weird dreams slip away. Fortunately, accumulating Kudosh gets easier once you unlock the ability to earn it at the Research Lab. Having enough Kudosh to fund school equipment also gets easier once you realize not every request for an arcade machine requires a positive response.
As such, I technically didn’t have to approve my students’ written application to bang. Two Point Campus‘ Double Jump Bed costs 150 Kudosh to unlock and $4,000 to actually buy, which seems like a lot for the garish piece of furniture. In contrast, a normal bed is only $1,200. These funds could be better spent on bookcases, or classroom equipment, or practically anything other than a sex bed.
My students’ sexual frustration also seemed like the sort of problem they could solve themselves, perhaps by taking a discreet excursion to a nearby hotel and not involving the dean.
But on the other hand, who am I to deny assistance to young love? University is a time to meet new people, form connections, and explore yourself — as well as consenting others. It may not technically be on any university’s official timetable, but nurturing a student’s social skills is just as important as part of their development as their grades.
Therefore, if I am to create the best, most welcoming and nurturing university I can, I should help facilitate romantic attachments, and be glad my students feel comfortable enough to ask me for a sex bed. This is what I keep telling myself.
I’m fine. Two Point Campus‘students can have their expensive school-funded communal sex bed, and bounce on it to their shameless hearts’ content. I’ll allow it. But they still only get one.
Two Point Campus is available August 9 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC and Nintendo Switch.
At Australia EduTech 2022, TCL unveiled its next proprietary NXTPAPER display technology for the first time. This new display will make it into their upcoming TCL NXTPAPER 10s tablet, aimed for the education sector to deliver affordable technology and significant eye health and wellness benefits.
As mentioned earlier, the display can reduce the blue light through the screen by a whopping 73% (as certified by TÜV Rheinland), which is huge. The reduction is achieved through both the hardware and software on the NXTPAPER 10s, with its paper-like display design utilizing 10 layers of protection to retain natural colors and great viewing angle.
The TCL NXTPAPER 10s also has an easily accessible PC Mode built-in so if you use it with the Folio Keyboard, it can become a great device for learning, working, or entertainment. Plus, the tablet has an 8,000mAh battery so it should last for a long time.
The tablet is launching in Australia in September 2022 and has a recommended retail price of A$499. We’ll let you know if we can secure a review device for a review here at Craving Tech.
Plaion has partnered with Moon Dog Craft Brewery for a Saint’s Row-themed limited edition pale ale called “Keep it Strange, Santo”. Moreover, the two will host a Saint’s Row launch party at Moon Dog’s Preston, Melbourne-based facility later this month.
“Named in honor of the slogan of Santo Ileso, a vibrant, fictional city in the heart of the American Southwest, ‘Keep it Strange, Santo’ is a collector’s delight and a taste sensation for craft beer lovers, loaded with punchy hops,” Plaion said of the bevvy.
Said title’s launch party is planned for Thursday, 18 August and promises to be a “Saint’s Row-themed extravaganza, offering hands-on with Boss Factory, Saints Row‘s best and boldest customization suite,” alongside further “surprise and delight moments and [with] prizes up for grabs.”
A Facebook event page for the launch party is now open, though it’s unclear how many public tickets are available alongside the event’s further promise of “gaming industry VIPs, media, celebrity guests and well-known streaming personalities” in attendance.
If you can’t make it to the event, you can try out Saint’s Row‘s Boss Factory from the comfort of your own home; we also played around with it here. As for beer fans, “Keep It Strange, Santo” will soon be available for purchase online for $9.00 AUD… presumably for a can.
“Leaning into the world of Saint’s Row and the outlandish in-game characters, it was easy for our team to find inspiration and create an epic launch event with a bespoke beer to match,” said Miro Bellini of Moon Dog.
I can’t speak for this new concoction, but Moon Dog sponsors my beer league and they’re good people with an easy drinking lager.
Saint’s Row heads to Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PS4 and PS5 from 23 August 2022. We previewed the title here.
This article may contain affiliate links, meaning we could earn a small commission if you click-through and make a purchase. Stevivor is an independent outlet and our journalism is in no way influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative.
Audi’s characterful five-cylinder is mated to a more agile chassis than ever before, and the while the rear diff’s drift mode may seem gimmicky it’s a hoot in real life
good points
Clever rear diff allows power oversteer
Well-judged ride
Extremely characterful engine
Everyday usability
needs work
Dearer to buy than before
Light on steering feel
Tire roar on coarse chip surfaces
Not as focused as some rivals
Audi’s RS3 is still young, at only three generations old globally and sold in Australia in sporadic bursts in second-gen form since 2018. Yet in that time its five-cylinder warble and AWD traction have put this hyper hatch on the map.
It appears quite value laden, too. Despite a 10 percent price rise, at $91,391 before on-road costs the new Sportback version undercuts rivals such as the similarly rapid Mercedes-AMG A45 S ($99,895 before on-road costs), while outgunning the $100K-plus BMW M2 in a straight-line sprint.
This new version also aims to fix old shortcomings. As quick as the last car was, there were criticisms: it didn’t have the effortless adjustability of a BMW and felt lead-tipped next to AMG’s ultra-sharp A45.
One of the other niggles where the RS3’s looks. The old car was so subtle as to be almost apologetic. The new car’s been in for a makeover with pumped front arches, functional air vents, gorgeous five Y-spoke 19-inch alloy wheels and blacked-out front for a mean stance to match the seductive five-pot soundtrack. The treatment is especially punchy when finished in a bold shade of ‘Kyalami green‘or’python yellow‘.
The new car retains the 294kW alloy-block 2.5-liter turbo petrol five-cylinder while adding an extra 20Nm, for a total of 500Nm, for good measure and focuses on making a more driver-friendly experience by eradicating understeer.
Audi RS engineers have also addressed the old version’s front-end push with a 33mm-wider front track, fitting ‘reverse-staggered’ tires (265/30 front, 245/35 rear) as standard. The RS3’s electronically controlled twin-clutch limited-slip rear differential, facilitating a new drift mode, is also fantastic, but it’s the whole suite of subtle changes that have truly elevated the RS3 above its predecessor.
How does the RS3 drive?
Surely drift modes are gimmicks. When on earth are you really going to turn off ESC, engage the RS3’s ‘Rear Torque‘setting and slide it around? It’s certainly not advisable in public. But, with a wet skid pan at our disposal at the new version’s local launch, it would’ve been rude not to have a crack.
The new diff doesn’t eliminate understeer completely – ham-fisted driving still had our white Sportback’s front 265/30 R19 Bridgestone S007s grumbling and sliding – but you can initiate a balletic drift with a boot full of throttle. It’s not precision driving, but when the RS3 is dancing around traffic cones it’s hard to suppress full-blown belly laughs.
The skid pan was also my first experience of the RS3. Going straight to bouncing off the rev-limiter in second (it holds gears in manual mode) revealed that, despite having a petrol particulate filter (PPF), the new RS3’s active exhaust is louder than the system it replaces, one that was fitted with sound-strangling emissions equipment toward the end of its life.
To this point, the RS3’s theatrics had me seriously impressed.
Next up was a brief stint at the Bend Raceway’s 3.41km West circuit, perhaps where the RS3 felt least at home. It was still fun with more on-power adjustability than expected and a deft ESC tune that allows generous dynamic driver engagement. However, the Sportback struggled with high-speed direction changes; a 1570kg weight figure, tall stance and suspension that’s supple and absorbent on road make it not a natural track tool.
All RS3s have 375mm cross-drilled and ventilated rotors clamped by six-piston front calipers, but the on-track cars were equipped with the eye-watering $13,000 carbon-ceramic stoppers (twinned with a heightened 290km/h speed limiter). The pedal felt firm and responsive in the three-lap sessions.
Away from ripple strips and ultra-smooth tarmac the RS3’s slight body roll translated to a friendly and exploitable car on the road. With the suspension set to middling ‘Balanced’ mode it dealt with bumps beautifully. Amping the RS3 in Dynamic mode adds more aural drama, steering weight and noticeably tighter body control that didn’t hugely impact ride comfort.
The RS3 is enormously quick in the real world, with engineer’s able to cut three tenths from the claimed 0-100km/h time – now 3.8 seconds – with no extra power. The new car has the same 294kW power output as the old version, but now spread between 5600-7000rpm. The torque increase is also not to be sniffed at, with the peak 500Nm figure (up 20Nm) on tap from 2250-5500rpm. The result is a car that does indeed feel a lot more special than its $69,900 four-cylinder S3 sibling.
Adding to the RS3’s sense of occasion is, again, that quattro system’s rear differential. It’s fun in a controlled environment, but also helps enormously on the road. Once past the slight off-center vagueness of the RS3’s quick steering rack, there’s now on-power adjustability available. It isn’t as tail-happy as BMW’s longitudinal, rear-biased xDrive system in the M240i, but it is sharp, precise, and addictive.
The hum of the performance-oriented Bridgestone tires on coarse chip freeways broke the serenity of the otherwise refined RS3. Dipping out of the Adelaide Hill’s incredibly tight and technical roads back into the doldrums of city life the RS3 still felt at home, its ride is far from uncompromising, and below 60km/h the RS3 Audi feels no more brittle in ride quality than a 35 TFSI Sportback.
Audi’s safety suite features well-tuned adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist programs fitted as standard to the RS3. Our car had blind-spot monitoring, but lacked a 360-degree camera due to semiconductor shortages, which dropped the list price by $975. Other safety features include front AEB with pedestrian, cyclist and junction detection, as well as rear AEB, a crisp reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors and auto-parking.
How is the RS3’s inside?
Inside is where Audi’s switchgear really trounces the closely-related Volkswagen Golf R, but the same can be said of the $20K cheaper S3. It could be argued that the RS3’s cabin lacks visual drama over its four-pot sibling, but the tech integration and build quality is still seriously impressive.
Customers can also make the RS3 ‘theirs’ with a $7400 (or $6200 for the sedan) carbon pack with carbon-fibre cabin trim, mirror caps, a rude rear wing and black exterior bading. The RS Design pack ($2150) is also available with an Alcantara-appointed steering wheel and contrasting interior accents in either lime green or red to add visual interest.
Unlike the related Volkswagen Golf R, the RS3’s 10.1-inch touchscreen has tactile haptic feedback, is crisp to look at and is backed up by a strong processor. There is no faffing around missing targets as they’re big enough not to need reading glasses.
Below the touchscreen sit physical controls for the HVAC and seat heating and the onboard navigation’s live traffic system is one of the best out there. Of course, there’s wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto if you prefer Waze or Google Maps, but Audi’s cartographic satellite maps displayed in the 12.3-inch digital driver’s display were my preference.
A wireless charging pad is included as standard in all RS3s and there are two USB-C fast-charging ports for juicing up other devices in the cabin. The door bins are flocked and the general material quality is high.
The cool air vent design, high-quality plastics and large, circular wheel are standard. As are the supportive, heated electric front seats with quilted nappa leather upholstery. The cars we tested were also missing massage seats as a result of material shortages, but four-way lumbar adjustment allows the driver/front occupants to dial in ample comfort.
The RS3’s back seat is a little cramped for someone 188cm tall such as I and the door tops are scratchy plastic in the rear quarters. For those under 180cm, though, the rear outboard seating positions are quite usable with a fold-down armrest, two USB-C fast-charging points, good bottle holders in the doors and adjustable air vents.
There are two body styles for the RS3 that will affect its practicality, but whether Sportback (286L) or sedan (321L) the boot is fairly generous. There is also a space saver-spare tire on board and a net is fitted as standard to keep luggage from flying around during the sort of inspired cornering the RS3 encourages.
What are the RS3’s running costs?
This may be the last outing for the RS3’s five-cylinder engine, but equally there may still be life left in it. According to Audi, a continuation of the popular engine will be all about demand. The brand says there’s no reason the five-cylinder couldn’t be made compliant with Euro 7 emissions standards set to come into effect in 2025.
Additionally, for the amount of grunt on offer the RS3 is relatively fuel efficient. The Sportback’s combined ADR consumption figure is a 8.3L/100km claim (the more aerodynamic sedan drops that to 8.2L/100km). On the launch, we saw 10L/100km on the on-board display, but we’ll have a test with more genuine real-world figures when we drive the RS3 back on home territory.
RS3 maintenance is due every 12 months/15,000km and Audi sells a five-year/75,000km service pack for $3850.
Like Mercedes-Benz – and almost every other premium manufacturer – Audi now offers a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. However, if you want, Audi also offers the ability to extend the RS3’s warranty in two year increments up to a total of nine years.
The scheme is called Audi Advantage and, for the RS3, will cost $3,800 for two years and include the scheduled servicing during that period – a lot better than the three-year warranty offered by BMW in Australia.
The final verdict
Audi’s RS3 now has the deft and adjustable handling to back up its ever impressive straight-line speed. From a distance the new RS3 may not look hugely different to the car it replaces, but the combination of the RS department’s tweaks have culminated in an excellent hyper hatch.
And while the RS3’s interior may not feel a whole lot more special than the $20K-cheaper S3, listening to the unique five-cylinder warble is arguably worth the extra money alone.
The RS3 is also better value than the Mercedes-AMG A45, especially given the Audi doesn’t need any pricey option boxes ticked to make it feel whole.
Audi’s latest RS3 is a truly well-rounded and unique performance car that is accessible enough for a novice driver. It also now has enough nuance, adjustability and agility for an experienced pilot to enjoy both on the road and racetrack without sacrificing daily livability.
After launching earlier this summer, Yamaha’s flagship TW-E7B true wireless earbuds are now available in the US. You can buy them starting today for $279.95. The TW-E7B have a few things going for them. They’re the first true wireless earbuds from Yamaha to include the company’s proprietary active noise cancellation algorithm. Yamaha claims its take on ANC doesn’t “color” audio the way some implementations do. The earbuds also feature an internal microphone that monitors how the shape of your ear affects audio output and adjusts accordingly.
Many of the other software features you’ll find on the TW-E7B are standard at this price range. The usual ambient mode makes an appearance, as does Google’s Fast Pair. For gamers, there’s a low-latency mode you can activate by triple tapping the volume down button on the right earbud. On that note, the inclusion of built-in volume controls is notable. Most true wireless earbuds don’t have them. Bluetooth codec support isn’t as extensive as we’ve seen hit the market recently, but you do get access to AAC and .
According to Yamaha, you can get up to six hours of battery life from the earbuds alone, and a total of 22 hours with the included charging case. The casing protecting the 10mm drivers is IPX5 certified against moisture. The TW-E7B are available in four colors: black, dark blue, beige and white. They also come with five different silicone eartips.
Today’s the day: Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2022 is set to kick off later today – August 10 – at 9am ET / 6am PT / 2pm BST / 11pm AEST. That’s just a few hours away at the time of writing.
If you have any interest in foldable phones, smartwatches or earbuds then you’ll want to follow along. We expect to see the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, and the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro all make an appearance.
It’s set to be a jam-packed launch, and TechRadar will (as ever) cover it in full, so head back to the site during or after the event for all of the announcements, along with our analysis and impressions.
In fact, we’ve already got a Samsung Unpacked live blog up and running, which you can follow along with now and during the launch. But if you’d like to tune into the event itself you can do that rather easily indeed, as Samsung is providing a live stream from multiple sources.
How to watch Samsung Galaxy Unpacked live
While many device makers will stream their launches on YouTube, and perhaps their own site, Samsung has gone beyond that.
The company is allowing viewers to watch Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2022 on YouTube (opens in new tab)the official Samsung site (opens in new tab)Samsung’s US Newsroom (opens in new tab)and by the looks of things on Twitter (opens in new tab) too. You’ll even be able to watch it in the metaverse, at Samsung 837X (opens in new tab).
The YouTube video can also be seen above, so you don’t even need to leave this page to watch it. Some of the links above also allow you to set reminders, so you’ll get an alert before the event starts.
However you choose to experience the launch, it’s worth learning about these devices, as leaks suggest we could be in for some big upgrades. For example, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro might have over three days of battery life, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 could have a slot for the S Pen stylus, and the Galaxy Z Flip 4 might combine cutting-edge power with an affordable price.
So these could be more than just iterative updates – they might instead be among the very best phones and best smartwatches of the year.
The beloved German audio haus returns to the bluetooth market with new, feature-packed earbuds
beyerdynamic has dropped the True Wireless Free BYRD earbuds, loaded with features over sonic quality, connectivity, and beyond.
What you need to know:
beyerdynamic has dropped the True Wireless Free BYRD earbuds.
The Free BYRD earbuds feature 70mm drivers, and the latest aptX adaptive and AAC codecs.
Free BYRD’s speech intelligibility during phone calls or meetings remains at the highest quality.
Read all the latest gear news here.
The Free BYRD earbuds feature 70mm drivers, and the latest aptX adaptive and AAC codecs to create detailed sound with brilliant highs and powerful bass.
Onboard Digital Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation boosts the sound quality by removing the ambient noise around you, which can be easily mixed in transparency mode, allowing users to go from an immersive soundscape to a conversation with a friend.
On the other side of the conversation, Free BYRD’s speech intelligibility during phone calls or meetings remains at the highest quality, even in a noisy environment, thanks to the inclusion of Qualcomm dual 2-mic eve technology.
A total of four microphones, two each on the left and right earpieces of the Free BYRD, deliver natural phone calls.
With Google Fast Pair, the earbuds connect to Android devices within seconds, while Bluetooth connection options are available on iOS, Mac OS, and PC devices.
Certifications from both Amazon and Apple also add ‘Hey Alexa’ and ‘Hey Siri’ voice assistants to Free BYRD.
Consumers can choose between five different silicone earpieces designed by beyerdynamic’s acoustics specialists to ensure the best possible fit with a focus on in-ear ergonomics.
Three additional memory-foam earpieces are included for use during sporting activities, while Free BYRD is splash-resistant with IPX4 certification to protect against sweat during extreme workouts or rain while on the go.
The earbuds boast 11 hours of battery life, with just 10 minutes of charge providing up to 70 minutes of play, all packed with the convenient cradle case.
When combined with beyerdynamic’s MIY app, users can customize and personalize their earbuds’ sound to their own hearing profile.
Head to beyerdynamic for more. For local inquiries, reach out to Syntec.
These outstanding Samsung foldable phones are available on Amazon for serious discounts ahead of tonight’s Samsung Unpacked event.
Come 11pm tonight, 10 August, we will enter a new age in the Samsung Galaxy era. It’s all but confirmed that the successors to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 will be unveiled.
Perhaps in light of this fact, you can cop the current generation of these models on Amazon for remarkably reduced prices. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 can be purchased for $1,949 (down from $2,499), while the Fold 3 is available for $1,115 (down from $1,499). Those are savings of $550 and $384 respectively.
If you want to enjoy top-of-the-line smartphone capability combined with innovative display technology, these are the phones for you. With these timely discounts, there’s never been a better time to buy.
Enjoy a retro yet futuristic device from one of the best manufacturers in the game. You can get this 128GB version for a whopping 26% off.
view deal
About the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 blurs the line between tablet and smartphone in the best way possible. Gargantuan 7.6-inch main and 6.2-inch cover displays are made even better with a 120Hz refresh rate. It is S Pen-compatible and utilizes a 4,400mAh battery to deliver plenty of battery life.
The device is highly durable owing to its Gorilla Glass Victus form. All in all, it’s an excellent offering that’s well worth the price of admission. Grab this discount now.
About the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3
For many of us, the sight of a flip phone brings back waves of nostalgia. You can experience this trip down memory lane without sacrificing all the bells and whistles of the latest and greatest smartphones thanks to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3.
5G functionality and loads of processing power will keep the tech geeks happy, while a 10MP selfie camera with hands-free capability will help you take over social media. It’s sleek, stylish and mighty. Jump on this Amazon deal right now.
Samsung Unpacked
If you can’t wait to find out what’s next for these phone lines, you’ll need to tune in to the Samsung website at 11pm AEST tonight. We expect to hear all about the new Fold and Flip phones, the Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro and the Galaxy Buds Pro 2.
Click here for everything you need to know about tonight’s exciting event.
For everything you need to find your dream smartphone, head over to Mobile Phone Finder.
