Category: Technology

The summer is usually a quiet time for tech news but Samsung is about to shake things up a bit. The next Samsung Unpacked event is set for July 10. It will take place in Paris at 3PM local time, which is 9AM ET.

The company released its Galaxy S24 devices earlier this year after its first Unpacked of 2024, so it’s highly unlikely that we’ll see new versions of the traditional smartphone format here (perhaps save for Olympics-branded models given Samsung’s sponsorship of that event). However, there’s a decent chance that Samsung will show off its latest set of foldables. Rumors are suggesting that it’s ready to reveal a new smartwatch too. And then there’s the small matter of the smart ring that Samsung has been teasing this year.

Here’s a look at what we expect from Samsung Unpacked, July 2024 edition:

Samsung Galaxy Ring

Samsung’s smart ring is its most intriguing upcoming device. It’s a brand-new product category for the company, though Samsung has been preparing for it by refining its health and wellness tech in its other devices over the last few years.

The Samsung Galaxy Ring is slated to arrive “in or around August,” according to the company itself, so it would be more of a surprise if the device didn’t appear at Unpacked. After first teasing the wearable during January’s Unpacked, Samsung revealed more details about it in February. The Galaxy Ring will be available in three colors — platinum silver, gold and ceramic black — and multiple sizes.

The ring will measure heart rate, movement and breathing to help track your sleep. It’s expected to support fertility tracking too. The Galaxy Ring will also be able to pair with a Galaxy Watch, so if you wear both, you’re likely to get more accurate health data.

Naturally, the Galaxy Ring will be compatible with Galaxy phones but Samsung is aiming to make it work with other Android handsets. As of February, iOS compatibility was to be determined, so perhaps rival device Oura will remain the go-to choice for many iPhone users. For what it’s worth, some of the company’s smartwatches are compatible with certain iPhones and non-Samsung Android phones.

Samsung has yet to reveal the exact release date and pricing for the Galaxy Ring. However, that information is almost certainly going to be announced at Unpacked.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6

It’s probably the right time for Samsung to roll out new foldables as we move into the back half of the year and (don’t say it out loud because summer has just started in the northern hemisphere) the holiday shopping season. We may very well see the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and and Galaxy Z Flip 6 at Unpacked.

The updates are expected to be relatively minor. Rumors suggest the Z Flip 6 will get a modest battery capacity increase to 4,000 mAh, an option to increase the RAM to 12GB and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. Camera upgrades also seem likely, with Samsung said to be bringing the same 50MP camera seen in the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S24 to the Z Flip 6.

As for the flagship foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold 6, that’s expected to have the same size screen and thickness as last year’s model. The cover screen may adopt Corning Gorilla Armor for improved durability along with anti-reflective tech.

It doesn’t seem that the cameras will be upgraded, while there may only be a very small increase to battery capacity. It’s a safe bet that there will be a chipset upgrade to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, though.

Meanwhile, one leak has suggested that both devices are getting a $100 increase compared with last year’s models. We’ll need to wait until Unpacked to find out for sure whether that’s the case.

There has also been some chatter around a more premium Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra, as well as slim versions of both foldable formats. However, these may arrive alongside the Galaxy S25 lineup in early 2025. If they appear at the July Unpacked event, it’s likely to be a tease at most.

Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Watch Ultra

Galaxy Watch 7 listings popped up early on some online stores, so we’ll probably see that wearable show up at Unpacked too. It’s expected to have a 3nm chipset that could improve power efficiency and performance. The health sensors are likely to get an upgrade too.

This being 2024, there will naturally be some AI-powered features. A listing detailed AI-powered sleep, exercise and communications features, including a smart reply function for the latter.

That’s not all, though, as there are indications that a Galaxy Watch Ultra is on the way too. A number of leaked images suggest it’ll be chunkier than standard Galaxy Watch models. The device is expected to have a rectangular design with a round watch face. Most intriguingly, the Galaxy Watch Ultra could have a digital crown-style dial and button combination on the side instead of a rotating bezel for navigation.

Rumors peg the price at $700, which would be far more expensive than other Galaxy Watch devices. Here’s hoping Samsung has packed enough features in there to make it worthwhile.

Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro

It’s been a couple of years since the last Galaxy Buds models (not counting last year’s FE variant), so those are due for an upgrade. It’s likely that we’ll see both Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro at Unpacked on July 10.

The two models will be available in silver and white colorways and have an IP57 rating for dust and water resistance, along with SmartThings Find support, according to Android Headlines.

As with the Buds 2 Pro, it’s expected that the Buds 3 Pro will have a two-way speaker designed to deliver richer audio, while the regular Buds 3 will have a one-way speaker. The higher-end model is also said to offer adaptive noise control, blade lights and ambient sound. Buds 3 Pro are also expected to deliver longer battery life than the more budget-friendly model, though both are believed to have active noise cancellation.

There’s one other big anticipated change as word on the street indicates Samsung is set to mimic Apple’s AirPods by adopting a stem design. Whether you’re a fan of that format or not, there’s one clear advantage of the stem: it places the microphone a little closer to your mouth, which should improve call quality. For what it’s worth, when Samsung revealed the Galaxy Buds Live in 2020, it said those lacked an “awkward stem.” 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-unpacked-2024-galaxy-z-fold-6-watch-ultra-galaxy-ring-and-everything-else-to-expect-143014932.html?src=rss 

Twelve years on, Microsoft has finally made an Arm-powered Surface tablet that doesn’t send our reviewers into a rage. The 2024 Surface Pro, or the Surface Pro Copilot+, is the fastest and most efficient Microsoft tablet we’ve seen, especially when paired with its Flex keyboard. The new OLED screen is great, and its NPU allows for powerful AI features.

However, those much-hyped AI features are far less compelling than the one-two punch of speed and solid battery life. (Take note: That’s most of what we want, laptop/tablet makers.) You can use Cocreator in Paint to generate AI images alongside text prompts and doodles, and the device can translate 40-plus languages into English using Windows 11’s Live Captions feature. The controversial Recall capability, meant to help you find anything you were doing on your computer through a natural conversation, is nowhere to be seen. There are security concerns other accounts could get into your Recall data.

A shame the keyboards are sold separately, though. Check out the full review right here.

— Mat Smith

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This cute/creepy pink blob could lead to realistic robot skin

Smile.

A team of scientists from the University of Tokyo and Harvard University is investigating how to create humanoid robots with skin that feels real. The process includes creating partly terrifying and partly adorable experimental machines with skin, like this smiley face. Broadly, the process tries to attach the skin to a layer beneath it, like real skin. The technique is called perforation-type anchors.

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An AI-generated Al Michaels will read you personalized Olympic recaps

Ah, the future.

Of course, AI nonsense will be connected to this year’s Olympics. “Your Daily Olympic Recap on Peacock” will let you choose your favorite sports and highlight types for the 2024 Summer Olympics, and an AI-generated Michaels will read a 10-minute customized recap of the previous day’s events based on your preferences. In fairness, you’d be hard-pressed to tell the AI-generated speech from Michaels’ real voice.

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Amazon is reportedly working on a new AI chatbot

Metis could be available as early as September.

Amazon may be working hard on a new chatbot called Metis. The company is using a different generation model, called retrieval-augmented generation (RAG). RAG “redirects the LLM to retrieve relevant information from authoritative, predetermined knowledge sources.” This means the model can tap into data that can be updated separately without retraining and could allow it to access up-to-date information. According to a Business Insider report, the model would be for consumers, not businesses, where it’s already offering its Amazon Q AI model.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-microsofts-surface-pro-copilot-is-the-best-surface-tablet-yet-111534749.html?src=rss 

The Oversight Board has published its latest annual report looking at its influence on Meta and ability to shift the policies that govern Facebook and Instagram. The board says that in 2023 it received 398,597 appeals, the vast majority of which came from Facebook users. But it took on only a tiny fraction of those cases, issuing a total of 53 decisions.

The board suggests, however, that the cases it selects can have an outsize impact on Meta’s users. For example, it credits its work for influencing improvements to Meta’s strike system and the “account status” feature that helps users check if their posts have violated any of the company’s rules.

Sussing out the board’s overall influence, though, is more complicated. The group says that between January of 2021 and May of 2024, it has sent a total of 266 recommendations to Meta. Of those, the company has fully or partially implemented 75, and reported “progress” on 81. The rest have been declined, “omitted or reframed,” or else Meta has claimed some level of implementation but hasn’t offered proof to the board. (There are five recommendations currently awaiting a response.) Those numbers raise some questions about how much Meta is willing to change in response to the board it created.

Notably, the report has no criticism for Meta and offers no analysis of Meta’s efforts (or lack thereof) to comply with its recommendations. The report calls out a case in which it recommended that Meta suspend the former prime minister of Cambodia for six months, noting that it overturned the company’s decision to leave up a video that could have incited violence. But the report makes no mention of the fact that Meta declined to suspend the former prime minister’s account and declined to further clarify its rules for public figures.

The report also hints at thorny topics the board may take on in the coming months. It mentions that it wants to look at content “demotion,” or what some Facebook and Instagram users may call “shadowbans” (the term is a loaded one for Meta, which has repeatedly denied that its algorithms intentionally punish users for no reason). “One area we are interested in exploring is demoted content, where a platform limits a post’s visibility without telling the user,” the Oversight Board writes.

For now, it’s not clear exactly how the group could tackle the issue. The board’s purview currently allows it to weigh in on specific pieces of content that Meta has removed or left up after a user appeal. But it’s possible the board could find another way into the issue. A spokesperson for the Oversight Board notes that the group expressed concern about demoted content in its opinion on content related to the Israel-Hamas war. “This is something the board would like to further explore as Meta’s decisions around demotion are pretty opaque,” the spokesperson said.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/metas-oversight-board-made-just-53-decisions-in-2023-100017750.html?src=rss 

Google is making subtle quality-of-life improvements to the Chrome mobile apps. The Android and iOS versions of the browser now offer quicker access to crucial info, trending searches and live sports scores in the Discovery Feed.

Chrome Actions, preset tasks that appear in the browser’s address bar when cued by trigger words, now include one for local businesses. When you search for something like a nearby restaurant, a shortcut will appear at the top of the bar showing the eatery’s name and address, along with buttons to call, get directions or read reviews.

The feature is available now in Chrome for Android, and Google says it will arrive on iOS this fall.

Chrome mobile is also getting new usage-based shortcut suggestions. If you typically type a particular phrase to get to a specific website, the browser will learn it and include a link to it high in your search suggestions. As the example above shows, if you usually enter “schedules” to see the City Metro’s webpage, its link will appear more prominently in the recommendations.

Mobile Chrome’s Discover Feed, the contextual cards you see when opening a new tab or the Google app on mobile, will now include live sports scores. When a team Google has learned that you like is playing, a Discover card now shows the live score, which will be automatically updated.

Trending searches, something Android devices already show in the Chrome address bar (before you type anything), are now available on iOS. Finally, the browser’s tablet address bar better matches the company’s Material You design language. The bar on tablets also now includes the current website at the top — always visible — to make it easier to stay put.

You can read more about Google’s Chrome additions on the company’s blog.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/chrome-for-mobile-adds-handy-action-shortcuts-for-local-businesses-192248053.html?src=rss