Love foldable smartphones? Save up to $699 on Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G and Fold3 5G. Know how to.
Love foldable smartphones? If yes, then this could be the best chance for you to get your hands on a feature packed foldable smartphone. Yes, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G and Fold3 5G prices have been slashed in the US ahead of Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 and Fold4 launch. Bestbuy is offering an exciting deal on both of the handsets that let you save up to $699. You just have to choose an eligible plan from broadband service provider Verizon. That’s not all, you can even opt for EMI options to pay the remaining cost in monthly installations starting from $8.33/mo. This is a pretty decent deal for those who are looking for a premium foldable smartphone on a budget.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G and Fold3 5G price drop in US: How to grab it
To grab the deal all you have to do is go to Bestbuy and select a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G 128GB phone and then choose an eligible network plan from Verizon. Pay the one time activation fee along with EMI and it’s done. Your device will be shipped to you. However, do note that you will have to opt for Verizon service for a period of 36 months in order to avail this discount. The handset is originally priced at $1049.
Similarly, if you want to grab a Fold3 5G 256GB, you can save $1000 on an eligible T Mobile plan. The monthly installation plan starts at $33.33 for 24 months. The phone was originally priced at $1799.
This is a limited time deal and if you’re planning to get a stylish 5G phone on budget, you must pick any of the Galaxy Z series handsets from Bestbuy sooner, rather than later.
Further if you want to save more, you can save $800 on trade-in of an eligible device like iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 12 Pro and others.
Gaming legends don’t come much bigger than golden eye 007and while we never got a sequel to Rare’s Nintendo 64 classic, the legacy of golden eye 007 went on to inspire everything from Perfect Dark to Call of Duty. Although first-person shooters were largely defined by DOOMit was golden eye 007 that proved their worth on home consoles.
Based on the 1995 movie of the same name, golden eye came to the N64 in 1997 and changed the way we game forever. While the story continued with Eurocom’s 2010 remake for the Wii U, plans for a long-rumored new-gen remaster have ground to a halt. If you want to get your fix, how about playing The Spy Who Loved Me?
What Is The Spy Who Loved Me?
As the work of modder Graslu00, The Spy Loved Me imagine a Bond game made by Rare. Instead of jumping off the dam and touring the USSR with Natalia, we’re teaming up with Anya Amasova and heading to Egypt to take on Jaws. While Graslu00 doesn’t explain why they picked The Spy Who Loved Me out of all the Bond movies, it’s still a lot of fun.
Based on the 1977 movie that starred Roger Moore, this mod reimagines the basic mechanics of golden eye 007 as a whole new game. The hour-long video runs through a variety of levels. From the iconic parachute opening of the Alps to Karl Stromberg’s underwater lair in Liparus, we get to see the whole game play out. With this being a Moore movie, the character model of Pierce Brosnan is swapped out for Moore’s likeness of him as 007.
The Spy Who Loved Me runs 4K at 60 frames per second through an emulator, but retro gamers will also be able to play it on an N64. If you’re sold, you can play The Spy Who Loved Me demo and the first three levels thanks to N64 Vault. Even though there’s no release date for the actual game, the reaction from fans proves it’s one we should be keeping an eye on.
Fans React To The Spy Who Loved Me
N64 Vault
We aren’t the only ones who loved The Spy Who Loved Me. One supporter cheered, “Fans prove again the modding community can put out absolutely God-tier creations. Seriously kudos to everyone behind this! Looks amazing.” Another said, “This was really well put together, I thought it was going to be a copy and paste of renamed levels with different objectives. Nah You went all out dawg. You nailed it! It’s like a legitimate Goldeneye 2.” A third concluded, “This really is amazing! My favorite game of all time meets my favorite film of all time!”
Unfortunately, modding is the best we can hope for at the moment when it comes to golden eye 007. Last year, footage from a canceled Xbox remake appeared online. Way back when, Microsoft had been working on a remake, but due to the Wii U remaster, it was axed at the last minute. This isn’t the first time Graslu00 has headed into the world of golden eyewith us previously writing about their impressive Mario 64 and golden eye 007 crossover. Once again, the modding community does what the devs never could.
Samsung’s biggest flagship event of the year is almost here. The company will hold its Galaxy Unpacked event on August 10. The upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event will see the company announce a slew of flagship products across its portfolio. These include additions to its foldable phones range, new Galaxy smartwatch and premium version of the company’s TWS earbuds. Along with these, the company is also likely to showcase OneUI 5.0 custom user interface. Here’s all that you can expect from Samsung’s big Galaxy Unpacked event set for August 10.
Samsung’s biggest flagship event of the year is almost here. The company will hold its Galaxy Unpacked event on August 10. The upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event will see the company announce a slew of flagship products across its portfolio. These include additions to its foldable phones range, new Galaxy smartwatch and premium version of the company’s TWS earbuds. Along with these, the company is also likely to showcase OneUI 5.0 custom user interface. Here’s all that you can expect from Samsung‘s big Galaxy Unpacked event set for August 10. Samsung galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z-Flip 4: To sport new design and colors The key highlight of the event will be the new models in Samsung’s foldable and flip phones portfolio. As almost already confirmed, Samsung will unveil Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 at the event. Speculations and leaked images and renders suggest that we will see some changes in terms of features, design and performance. For starters, both the handsets will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset paired with up to 12GB RAM. While design changes may not be big, the smartphones are rumored to get a new, more sturdy hinge mechanism. Apart from that, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 will feature a flat side design and a relatively bigger cover display along with a slightly bigger battery. Galaxy Z Fold 4 is reported to get Galaxy S22 Ultra’ individual lens housing for rear camera. Both the phones are sure to get new color options Samsung galaxy Watch 5 series, Galaxy Buds Pro 2 Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, Samsung’s first watch launched in partnership with Google will get a successor. Likely to be called Galaxy Watch 5, it will come with improvements in battery life and wireless charging support. Samsung is also expected to add a ‘Pro’ model to the Galaxy Watch lineup. This means that there will be two smartwatches — Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro at the event. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is rumored to be a rugged version of Galaxy Watch 5 aimed at trekkers. Samsung seems to be eyeing Garmin’s space with this. Some reports claim that Samsung will drop the Classic version of the Galaxy Watch for the Pro model. In terms of features and design, the regular and Pro version are likely to sport a similar set of features, except for the ruggedness of the latter. Samsung’s Apple AirPod rival, Galaxy Buds Pro 2 Samsung is also likely to update its TWS earbuds lineup with the addition of a new premium earbuds, Galaxy Buds Pro 2. These earbuds will succeed Galaxy Buds Pro launched last year. Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro are likely to come with improved audio and battery life and ANC.
Apple might be working on a HomePod that combines with an iPad and smart speaker according to the latest report by prominent analyst, Mark Gurman. Aside from the upcoming second generation HomePod and HomePod mini, there could be two more smart speakers launching as early as the end of next year.
TL;DR
An Apple smart display could be in the works.
The two HomePod variants in new form could be announced as early as the end of 2023.
Apple’s HomePod 2 will use an S8 processor like on the Watch Series 8.
The news of an unknown smart home device from Apple is not new. Just a few months ago, we reported that Apple is readying an upgraded HomePod equipped with a camera for FaceTime and Apple TV. However, it is designed for living room spaces given its basic functions inclined for entertainment.
The second device seems to hint of kitchen use like Amazon’s Echo Show smart displays with a speaker. While it is too early to speculate, it could use an iPad form mounted on a battery base or could arrive on a custom stand. Further details have been left out but the probability of Apple developing the said device is high as the company already announcing its intention in the Matter standard.
In terms of launch date, Gurman hints that these two smart homes will be introduced sometime between the end of 2023 and early 2024. It is possible that one or two of the HomePod variants will eventually not make it as a final product.
Apple HomePod 2 launch date
On the other hand, Apple’s long overdue HomePod 2 is expected to come with a new S8 chipset found on the upcoming Apple Watch 8. It is also rumored to feature Apple TV 4K as well as the new Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity. Apple could announce the HomePod 2 later this year or early in 2022.
What are your thoughts on an Apple smart display for kitchens and home? Do you think Apple should release it? Let us hear your answers in the comment section below.
A transparent protective coating material that can be self-healed in 30 minutes when exposed to sunlight has been developed.
Excellent durability of automotive coatings is the most important issue in protecting a vehicle surface. In addition, protective coating materials should be colorless and transparent so that the original color of the product can be seen. However, it is difficult to provide a self-healing function while satisfying all of these conditions. Materials with free molecular movement have high self-healing efficiency, but have low durability, whereas materials with high hardness and excellent durability have remarkably poor self-healing performance.
The research team of Dr. Jin Chul Kim, Dr. Young il Park, and Dr. Ji-Eun Jeong of the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) has developed a transparent coating material that satisfies all of the above conditions and has similar performance to that of commercial protective coating materials and can be self-healed with only sunlight (Particularly near infrared light in sunlight, in the wavelength range of 1,000 to 1,100 nm).
Using the developed self-healing protective material, surface scratches can be healed in 30 minutes when exposed to sunlight. To demonstrate the self-healing performance of the developed coating material, the research team coated a laboratory-scale model car using a spray-coating machine. When the model car was exposed to midday sunlight for about 30 minutes, the scratch completely disappeared and the surface of the coating material was restored.
Principle of the self-healing phenomenon: When sunlight is absorbed by the developed material, the surface temperature rises as light energy is converted into thermal energy. Subsequently, the increased surface temperature makes it possible to self-heal a surface scratch by repeating the dissociation and recombination of chemical bonds in the polymer structure.
To the existing commercial coating resin, the research team add a dynamic chemical bond(Hindered urea structure) that can repeat the decomposition and recombination of the polymer structure, and mixed it with a transparent photothermal dye so that dynamic chemical bonding can occur actively upon exposure to sunlight.
Although self-healing functions using photothermal dyes have been studied, previous studies were mainly based on inorganic materials that are difficult to apply industrially as the coating material should be transparent. In addition, inorganic materials require a large amount of light energy to produce a photothermal effect.
The research team used transparent organic photothermal dyes that can absorb near-infrared light. Near-infrared light is a long-wavelength energy source that accounts for less than 10% of midday sunlight, and thus it can circumvent excessive increase of the vehicle surface temperature. In addition, organic photothermal dyes have several advantages for commercialization: they do not affect the product color due to colorless inherent color, easily blend with various paints, and are inexpensive.
The developed self-healing material is expected to be used as a coating material for transportation applications, electronic devices such as smartphones and computers, and building materials in the future. In addition, it is expected to contribute to the realization of carbon neutrality by reducing the use of harmful organic solvents, which are generated in large amounts when repainting vehicles.
This research was published as the supplementary cover of the May 2022 issue of ACS Applied Polymer Materials, an international scientific and technological journal.
Dr. Jin Chul Kim of KRICT, the research director said, “The developed technology is a platform technology that synthesizes self-healing coating materials using both inexpensive commercial polymer materials and photothermal dyes. It is expected to be widely used not only in automotive clearcoats but also in various applications.”
/PublicRelease. This material from the originating organization/author(s) may be of a point-in-time nature, edited for clarity, style and length. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s).
The memory manufacturer Micron, who had developed GDDR6X technology in collaboration with NVIDIA for RTX 30, is now preparing for the next-gen GPU series by offering even faster speeds.
Company website has now been updated with new information on the new GDDR6X modules. It appears that 16Gb (2GB) modules featuring 24 Gbps speed are now in production, just 2 months ahead of the rumored launch of NVIDIA RTX 40 series.
NVIDIA is said to use both 21 and 24 Gbps speeds for its high-end series. Should rumors be correct, NVIDIA will be using 21 Gbps GDDR6X modules for three of the high-end SKUs: RTX 4090, 4080 and 4070. At the same time, rumors on supposed flagship model, either a professional workstation GPU or a true TITAN successor , might be getting 24 Gbps modules.
Micron GDDR6X memory catalog, Source: Micron
Micron probably wouldn’t be producing such chips for no reason, but just because such memory exists, it does not guarantee that full speed will be used by next-gen GPUs. For RTX 30 series, NVIDIA only used 21 Gbps speed for its RTX 3090 Ti model released in March this year, while the original 2020 launch only went as high as 19.5 Gbps.
Zipp’s wheel range has been completely overhauled over the last couple of years, with the brand making a wholesale switch to hookless and tubeless. This now includes the 808 Firecrest and 858 NSW wheelsets.
The final piece in the puzzle was the brand’s deepest rims, and the 808 (80mm-deep) and 858 NSW (82/85mm-deep) have been revamped to reduce weight and improve performance, according to Zipp.
With the new 8-series wheels comes a wider 23mm internal rim shape that’s optimized for 28mm tires, as well as a new construction method that Zipp says makes these new hoops the brand’s ‘most rideable’ specialist speed wheels yet.
They’re claimed to be faster, too. Combining aero and efficiency gains, Zipp says the 858 wheelset is nine watts faster, while the 808 is six watts faster.
And, in what’s been a trend for Zipp wheels recently, the new wheels are also cheaper.
The 858 NSW now comes in at £1,585 / $2,000 / €1,775 for the front wheel and £1,985 / $2,400 / €2,225 for the rear, while the 808 is £1,095 / $1,125 / €1,225 for the front and £1,140 / $1,175 / €1,275 for the rear.
Both are available in XDR or Shimano/SRAM freehub options (a Campagnolo N3W driver is available separately).
Zipp 858 NSW | What you need to know
243g lighter than the previous model
1,530g claimed weight (existing 858 NSW, 1,773g)
Optimized tire bed for easy tire installation
Sawtooth rim and HexFin ABLC dimple pattern
82/85mm-deep rim profile
Minimum 25mm tire width
Optimized for 28mm tires
23mm internal width with tubeless and hookless rim profile
Lifetime guarantee
Cognition V2 hubs with Axial Clutch V2 from the 454 NSW
£622 / €642 / $642 cheaper than the outgoing model
Updating a winner
Zipp has redesigned the 80mm-deep 808 wheelset.zipp
The 808 has an impressively broad set of victories in its long history, from multiple Kona Ironman wins, to World Championship and Olympic time trial victories, Tour de France stage wins – both road and TT – and Milan-San Remo.
For the new wheels, Zipp wanted to take the 8-series platform and move it forward in terms of rideability and weight, as well as the usual aero updates.
The idea, according to Zipp, was to make the 808 and 858 more usable for any road discipline (where conditions would favor it) without compromising the rider, rather than the wheels being aimed primarily at time trials and triathlon.
23mm internal width with tubeless and hookless rim profile
£565 / €714 / $713 cheaper than the outgoing model
The 858, with a rim depth that varies between 82mm and 85mm, has also been revamped.Russell Burton / Our Media
“We’ve historically looked to improve aerodynamics as the main goal of wheel design, especially when it comes to a rim as deep as the 808/858,” says Ruan Trouw, Zipp’s advanced development engineer.
“What we learned from the 303 and 404 development, is that many other elements are in play, and they require plenty of our attention too.”
This has led to Zipp’s mantra of ‘Total System Efficiency’; a way of weighing the various priorities in the design of a wheel to find the best balance.
This shows the evolution of the Zipp 808 rim profile.zipp
Total System Efficiency explained
Zipp’s Total System Efficiency design philosophy covers wind resistance, gravity, rolling resistance and vibration losses.zipp
Total System Efficiency (TSE) focuses on four areas, with varying importance depending on the type of rider and riding conditions: wind resistance, gravity, rolling resistance and vibration losses. Let’s take a look at each in turn.
wind resistance
Zipp says the hookless design has a small aerodynamic advantage.zipp
For Zipp, overcoming wind resistance is a combination of aerodynamic efficiency and crosswind stability.
The development of the original Firecrest shape, and the radical Sawtooth NSW shape (of the 858 and 454), combined Zipp’s research and testing in both areas.
With the dominance of road disc brakes, the latest generation of Zipp wheels don’t have to account for a rim-brake surface, so they’re wider and, according to Zipp, better shaped for a smooth interface between the rim and tire.
According to Zipp, the move to a hookless rim also helps provide a smoother rim and tire combination, reducing an area of high turbulence and, therefore, drag.
The 808 is part of the Firecrest range.zipp
Gravity
While the revised shape of the rim, and the introduction of hookless technology, improves aerodynamics, Zipp says there’s also a benefit in saving weight.
The weight savings here are impressive, with 282g saved on the 808 and 243g on the 858 NSW.
Where these were wheelsets used primarily in time trials, triathlons or fast road races, the new claimed wheelset weights of 1,635g (808 – 752g front, 883g rear) and 1,530g (858 NSW – 719g front, 811g rear) put these in the realm of general road racing in favorable wind conditions (they’re still super-deep rims, after all).
rolling resistance
The new design leans on the trend for wider road tyres.zipp
This is where things can get interesting. For years, road riders thought that a narrower tyre, pumped up to a high tire pressure on a road bike, was the fastest option.
The latest research, however, has shown that it’s better to go wide – within reason – to reduce rolling resistance. It’s a trend we’ve seen everywhere from size availability on the best road bike tires, to the latest Tour de France machines.
A tire contact patch relates to its rolling resistance, and the contact patch is defined by rider weight and tire pressure. For instance, if you take two bikes with the same rider and two different tire widths but the same pressure in those tires, the contact patch would be the same because they’re both supporting the same load with the same amount of pressure.
The big difference is in the shape of the contact patch. A wider tire will produce a wider but much shorter contact patch compared to a narrow tyre. That means less ‘sag’ in the tyre, less deforming the tyre, and less energy lost when rolling.
The upscale 858 NSW gets Zipp’s Sawtooth rim and HexFin ABLC dimple pattern.Russell Burton / Our Media
vibration losses
The final piece in the TSE puzzle, and one Zipp identified as being able to bring big efficiency gains, covers vibration losses.
For example, while the new 858 rim shape is only one watt more aerodynamically efficient, according to Zipp, the brand’s real-world testing has shown gains of eight watts for the 858 and five watts for the 808 when it comes to vibration and rolling resistance improvements.
While running a wider tire at a lower pressure helps, Zipp says there’s also a contribution from the new rim construction, called CiR (Carbon internal Reinforcement). It’s an idea borne out of Zipp’s ‘Nest’ development lab, which allows the quick development and testing of fully functioning, prototype rims.
Most carbon wheel designs (including Zipp’s previous ranges) used a rim with a uniform thickness throughout. However, Zipp’s testing and analysis has shown that forces acting on a rim are not uniform. As a result, the CiR design places material where it’s needed and removes any excess material. The finalization of this design apparently took more than two years.
The final design is best described as having an internal skeleton that’s wrapped with a fine carbon skin, much like the wings of an aircraft. The result is not only a rim that’s 10 per cent lighter than the previous model, even though it’s wider, but one that’s also significantly more flexible in its sidewall.
That means better absorption of vibrations from the road, and a less fatiguing ride as a result. Zipp also says it’s more efficient because the tire stays in contact with the road surface rather than skipping and bouncing across it. This all adds up to a faster wheel, despite losing the focus on aerodynamics.
Prices and availability
Both the 808 and 858 NSW are available from today, with pricing information below.
Zipp 858 NSW
The Zipp 858 NSW wheelset has a claimed weight of 1,530g – that’s 243g lighter than the previous model (1,773g). zipp
The 858 NSW is priced at £1,585 / $2,000 / €1,775 for the front wheel and £1,985 / $2,400 / €2,225 for the rear. zipp
Zipp 858 NSW front wheel: £1,585 / $2,000 / €1,775
We know that Oppo is preparing a new version of its flagship smartwatch – and now it’s been officially teased by the company.
The new smartwatch will land with the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 chip on board, and will be the first device to run the new wearables platform. And it could land on 10 August, on the same day as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5.
Huawei teased the watch on Weibo, and showed off a curved body, large screen and black and silver finishes with silicone and leather straps.
But new leaks from Evan Blass have given a more candid look at the new Oppo Watch.
The original Oppo Watch bore more than a small resemblance to the Apple Watch, although this time out it seems Oppo is using a curved body.
That will hug the contours of the wrist, which could make it more comfortable to wear – especially as there seems to be a large screen on board.
It’s been done before – not least by the Oppo Watch Free – which boasts a slight curve. And readers with long memories might recall the Asus Zenwatch back in 2014, which also used a curved screen to offset a large display.
In fact, we can’t help but remembering the Zenwatch with the brown leather strap. It seems we really have gone full circle.
There’s no word on the Oppo Watch 3 landing outside of China, but we assume it will eventually.
And it will be notable for being the first to use the Snapdragon W5. This enables smartwatches built on manufacturer platforms to take advantage of Qualcomm’s co-processor for improved performance and battery life.
So it will be interesting to see the kind of improvements the platform could offer as a bellweather for the next generation of smartwatches.
In an interview with Wareable, Qualcomm told us it has 25 smartwatches in the works, and didn’t rule out the platform being used for smartglasses and other wearables.
Open-world exploration game Tower of Fantasy is launching soon, and bringing with it a healthy dose of anime, gacha collectables, and fantastic bosses to fight through. While often compared to Genshin Impact, Tower of Fantasy eschews magical fantasy for a mixture of sci-fi and magic instead. Enemies will often be a mixture of man and machine, and future technology will be everywhere as you try to solve the riddles of your past.
Tower of Fantasy will be launching at a specific time worldwide. Below you will find the launch times for Australia:
• Australia: Thursday, August 11 at 9am ACT.
On launch, all players will earn the following rewards as part of the pre-registration campaign rewards:
• 10 Black Cores
• 20 Gold Cores
• 10 Red Cores
• 500 Dark Crystal
• 14,000 Gold
• Limited title and avatar frame
• Limited Jet pack skin
•Limited Costume
•Limited Vehicle
• Several pieces of food
Players will be able to use these resources to recruit Simulacrum, which are the rare gacha units that grant players unique abilities to use in the game. In addition, players will also receive additional bonuses for log-in and new player campaigns, granting all players several chances to get a rare Simulacrum.
Tower of Fantasy follows a young character who suffers from amnesia as they try to discover who they were and what their place in the world is. Along the way, they will meet up with several survivors in the post-apocalyptic wasteland, explore an alien world full of strange flora and fauna, and fight a whole assortment of difficult, larger-than-life bosses.
Tower of Fantasy will launch on mobile devices (iOS and Android) and PC (Epic Games Store and Steam).
Google is suing Sonos for allegedly infringing on patents covering smart speaker and voice-control technology.
The firms have been locked in a two-year legal dispute over wireless speaker patents, which started when a partnership between the two firms sourced and Sonos accused Google of stealing its IP to build Google-branded devices with Sonos tech.
This week’s suits, filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, claim theft of seven more features—including hotword detection, wireless charging, and how a group of speakers determines which should respond to voice input, The Verge reports.
According to a Google spokesperson, the latest litigation aims to “defend our technology and challenge Sonos’ clear, continued infringement of our patents.” Sonos “started an aggressive and misleading campaign against our products, at the expense of our shared customers,” José Castañeda told The Verge. The tech giant plans to file similar lawsuits with the US International Trade Commission (ITC) in hopes of banning imports of certain Sonos items.
The litigious spat began in 2020, when Sonos sued Google over multi-room speaker technology. Google quickly countered, claiming the consumer electronics maker also plagiarized some of its own patents. Sonos reciprocated with even more legal proceedings.
In January 2022, the ITC ruled in favor of Sonos, placing an import ban on Google Home/Nest speakers, Chromecast devices, and Pixel handsets. Google altered its products, changing their setup and Speaker Group functionality.
Even with modifications, Google’s merchandise “will still infringe many dozens of Sonos patents, its wrongdoing will persist, and the damages owed Sonos will continue to accrue,” Sonos said early this year. “Alternatively, Google can—as other companies have already done—pay a fair royalty for the technologies it has misappropriated.”
