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When TCL first unveiled NXTPAPER, it said that it was designed for tablets and e-readers — not smartphones. You can disregard that comment now, because the company just unveiled its first smartphone using that very display tech. The TCL 40 NXTPAPER models are budget-oriented devices that promise “industry-leading eye comfort” with mid- to low-range specs. 

TCL has described NXTPAPER as a “combination of screen and paper,” noting that it offers 25 percent more contrast than typical E Ink displays, while being 65 percent more power efficient. Its latest version delivers up to 500 nits of brightness, and supposedly exceeds TÜV-certified levels of blue light reduction. TCL says the tech can help protect your eye health while maintaining color accuracy and avoiding screen yellowing. The screen’s color temperature will adjust automatically based on the time and environment, too. 

Despite sharing a name, the TCL 40 NXTPAPER and TCL 40 NXTPAPER 5G have different designs and specs. The former comes with a 6.78-inch FHD+ NXTPAPER display and has a punch hole 32-megapixel (MP) front camera, along with a 50MP rear camera. It has a middling MediaTek Helio G88 processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, expandable via a microSD card. Connectivity is limited to 4G, and it will cost €199 ($215) when it goes on sale in Europe in September 2023. 

The TCL 40 NXTPAPER 5G, as the name suggests, offers 5G connectivity, but other specs are oddly downgraded. It’s got a smaller 6.5-inch HD+ (720 x 1,612) notch-type display, with an 8MP front camera and 50MP rear camera. It uses MediaTek’s MT6833v processor (because it has 5G radios) and offers 6GB of RAM and 256GB of storage (also expandable). It’ll go on sale in Europe in October for €249 ($269). Both models will release globally later in 2023.

Specs aside, the NXTPAPER display is the differentiating feature for these smartphones. Each has a 5,000mAh hour, and given the power-efficiency claims, should go for a long while on a charge. It remains to be seen if the screen will deliver a solid smartphone experience, however. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tcls-new-budget-phones-are-the-first-to-feature-nxtpaper-displays-143027711.html?src=rss 

iRobot is running another sale on Roomba robot vacuums and Braava robot mops, which includes the Roomba 694 back down to $179. We’ve seen this deal pop up periodically over the past several months, but it’s still $71 below the vacuum’s typical street price. Outside of a very brief drop to $175 last November, it matches the lowest price we’ve tracked.

The Roomba 694 itself is the top pick in our guide to the best budget robot vacuums. It’s an entry-level model that navigates around a room semi-randomly instead of mapping and following set paths, so it’s not the most efficient cleaner, and it’ll bonk into furniture around your house. That said, it’s sturdily built, and we found it to work effectively across hard floors and carpet. We’re particularly fond of iRobot’s companion app, which makes it easy to quickly stop or start the vacuum, set a cleaning schedule, check the battery and the like. You don’t need to connect to WiFi to use the device, however. iRobot says the Roomba 694 can run for up to 90 minutes before it has to roll back to its charging dock, though you’ll get worse battery life depending on what floor surfaces you need to clean. 

A simpler device like this won’t be as effective if you live in a particularly large home, but if you just want a no-frills option at a reasonable rate, we’ve found the Roomba 694 to be durable and dependable. And if something ever does break, replacement parts are readily available. 

If you’re willing to pay up for a more feature-rich model, the sale also brings the Roomba j7+ down to $529. Normally, this model retails between $600 and $800. The j7+ comes with a self-emptying dock and more advanced mapping system than the 694, and it can identify and swerve away from obstacles like pet waste in real time. Currently, it’s the runner up midrange pick in our guide to the best robot vacuums. Just note that, like many robot vacuums with its sort of obstacle avoidance, the j7 comes with a built-in camera, which may raise privacy concerns for some, particularly with Amazon in the process of acquiring iRobot.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/irobots-roomba-694-robot-vacuum-drops-back-to-179-144038815.html?src=rss 

German Bionic, the robot exoskeleton startup behind the lightweight Apogee exosuit, just revealed the Apogee+, a hardware refresh intended to service health care workers. The powered exoskeleton allows nurses and other health care professionals to have greater access to patients, particularly the elderly and the infirm. The company hopes to decrease the “immense levels of stress endured” by these medical professionals.

To that end, the Apogee+ is designed as a “personal lift assistant,” providing active assistance while walking, lifting and arranging patients for treatments and sanitary procedures like showers. The robo-suit offers nearly 70 pounds of back relief per lift and includes integrated grips for getting a stable hold on things and for repositioning patients.

Just like its sibling exoskeleton, the Apogee+ is small and lightweight, so it can be worn by a variety of people in a diverse array of environments. It’s also waterproof, which should help when bathing patients, and dust-proof, which should help when, uh, working in rundown medical facilities straight out of a Stephen King novel.

Most German Bionic products, like the powerful Cray X, are designed for industrial settings, but the Apogee+ is made for health clinics, so it features a softer form factor with light “patient-friendly” colors. The suit’s unibody exterior is designed for an easy disinfection process, so germs and bacteria won’t accumulate. This is obviously quite essential in healthcare environments.

German Bionic touts recent data celebrating the efficacy of exoskeleton wearable products in the healthcare space, saying that it “offers flexible and reliable support to nursing staff.” The Apogee+ is rolling out across North America now, so it’s already available for purchase by health care entities. If you want to try it for yourself, book a passage to Germany in November. The company’s offering in-person demos at global medical trade show Medica on November 13. These exoskeletons cost $9,900 or $299 per month forr bulk purchasers. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/german-bionics-latest-exoskeleton-helps-healthcare-workers-lift-elderly-patients-130046538.html?src=rss 

Meta has shared details about a massive network of fake accounts that attempted to spread pro-China propaganda on its platform. The company said the takedowns were linked to “individuals associated with Chinese law enforcement” who operated similar fake accounts on dozens of other platforms.

While the company regularly shares updates on its takedowns of fake accounts engaged in widespread manipulation, Meta’s security security researchers said the latest effort was particularly notable for the size and scope of the operation. In all, Meta took down 7,704 Facebook accounts, 954 Pages, 15 Groups and 15 Instagram accounts, making it one of the largest networks of fake accounts the company has ever uncovered.

During a call with reporters, Ben Nimmo, Meta’s global threat intelligence lead, described the effort as “the most prolific covert influence operation that we know of in the world today.” He noted that the group behind the accounts were also active on X, Reddit, YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest and dozens of other social platforms.

According to Meta, the fake accounts tried to spread pro-China messages, including “positive commentary about China and its province Xinjiang and criticisms of the United States, Western foreign policies, and critics of the Chinese government including journalists and researchers.” The company attributed the accounts to law enforcement figures within China, but didn’t name a specific agency or organization. Meta did confirm it found evidence linking the fake accounts to a previously known pro-China influence operation that first surfaced in 2019, which security researchers dubbed “Spamouflage.”

Despite the size of the effort, Meta said the people behind the fake accounts weren’t particularly skilled or successful in their efforts to go viral. “Spamouflage consistently struggled to reach beyond its own (fake) echo chamber,” Meta wrote in its quarterly security report. “Many comments on Spamouflage posts that we have observed came from other Spamoflauge accounts trying to make it look like they were more popular than they were.”

Still, Nimmo said the entities behind Spamouflage were unlikely to give up. “This operation is large, prolific and persistent,” he said. “We expect it to keep on trying.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-took-down-thousands-of-fake-accounts-linked-to-massive-chinese-propaganda-campaign-120059914.html?src=rss 

Google has really tried to go all in on automation since the rollout of its redesigned Home app in May. There’s been the introduction of a new script editor, Nest Cam Indoor integration and, now, a whole slew of new routines to use. The company has announced 18 new routines — half starters and half actions — immediately available for Google Home users.

Starters allow you to activate or turn off something in response to another device. For example, you can now have the thermostat automatically turn off when the window is open or have lights dim and the fireplace light up if you pause your show. Actions, on the other hand, typically occur in response to you or another individual. New actions include options like having your lights slowly turn on after dismissing your alarm and pulsing the lights in your room or turning off the vacuum if your doorbell rings. You can check out the entire list of new routines on Google’s Nest Community blog here.

You can access new and old routines in the Google Home app under the Routines icon. From there, you can choose which type of routine it is — household or personal — and name it. Then, when you want to use it, all you need to do is ask Google to start it the same way you’d tell your Google device to do anything.

Google has also added the first round of new features to its script editor public preview, including using cameras as a starter. These settings could include playing calming music when a dog comes into view or the lights turning on when a family member gets home. However, you can also suppress starters if they’re unhelpful for the time being. Plus, you can enact custom notifications, such as a text telling you when certain family members have made it home safe or that an appliance was left on. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-just-made-it-a-lot-easier-for-people-to-begin-automating-their-smart-home-122504424.html?src=rss 

There’s often only a small difference between a new model and the one preceding it in terms of features. That’s why, despite the recent arrival of the sixth-generation, a sale on Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 40mm models is notable. This is especially true since the $180 price tag is a new all-time low for the device. Depending on the color, this discount cuts the cost anywhere from 36 percent all the way up to 47 percent off. 

Samsung only debuted its most recent model, the Galaxy Watch 6, this summer. While it does have some improvements (like a 20 percent larger display and the return of the rotating dial), the $300 price tag is quite hefty compared to $180. Plus, the Galaxy Watch 5 is a great device, which is why we gave it an 85 in our review last year. The Bespoke edition makes up most of the sale and lets you customize everything from the band to the watch face. It also includes comprehensive health information and tracking — such as your heart rate, a GPS and sleep coaching. 

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 44mm size with Bluetooth and LTE models also have significant sales. The Galaxy Watch 5 44mm with Bluetooth is 34 percent off, dropping from $320 to $210. It’s similar to its 40mm sibling but has a bigger watch frame and a 410mAh battery, compared to the 40mm’s 284mAh. Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 LTE is also on sale in both watch sizes, with the 40mm LTE dropping 30 percent from $330 to $230. The 44mm version is also $100 off, at $260, down from $360. The lower price definitely makes the LTE watch a more reasonable option if you want access to your watch’s full features at all times.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsungs-galaxy-watch-5-falls-to-a-new-all-time-low-in-amazon-sale-101556361.html?src=rss