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Weekly Rewind: Brain mapping, a possible cure for blindness, and more

top tech stories 07 23 2016 wr 01 24
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In the tech world, a lot happens in a week. So much news goes on that it’s almost impossible for mere mortals with real lives to keep track of everything. That’s why we’ve compiled a quick and dirty list of the top 10 tech stories from this week. Everything from Sting’s first pop album in over a decade to a new brain map, it’s all here.

Carpool Karaoke reveals that Michelle Obama knows all the words to Get Ur Freak On

WR_09_07_24
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The first lady and Corden drove around the White House grounds in an extended circle, singing everything from Stevie Wonder’s classic Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours to Beyoncé’s Single Ladies. After a few songs, female rap hero Missy Elliott hopped in the back seat for a surprise version of the Obama collaboration This Is for My Girls, which in turn led to a karaoke rendition of Get Ur Freak On — a song the first lady knew all the words to. Now, that’s just good television.

Read the full story here.

The Army is reportedly swapping its buggy Android devices for iPhones

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Changes are afoot in U.S government … in its choice of handset, that is. Just this month, U.S. congressional staffers received the disheartening news that they’d no longer have their pick of BlackBerrys, and now the U.S. Army is reevaluating its options, too. According to DOD Buzz, the Army’s Special Operations Command (SOC) will soon eschew the Android phones it uses operationally for a platoon of iPhones.

Read the full story here.

Sting’s first pop album in 13 years will include songs about Prince, refugees

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Pop icon Sting has announced plans to release his first pop album in 13 years, after having spent that time working on symphonic, musical theater, and lute-based material. The legendary English bassist’s newly announced record will be called 57th & 9th — a name borrowed from an intersection near the New York studio where much of the material was recorded, according to Rolling Stone.

Read the full story here.

Elon Musk’s second master plan for Tesla is even more ambitious

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Almost exactly 10 years ago, Elon Musk released Tesla’s first “secret master plan.” It called for the nascent company to start with a low-volume electric car, and then use the money it earned to gradually develop less-expensive cars that would sell in higher numbers, all while providing solar power on a significant scale. A decade later, Tesla is close to meeting most of those goals — Musk felt it was time to draft another “master plan.”

Read the full story here.

Samsung vows to fix a flaw with the Galaxy S7 Active’s water resistance

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Samsung bills the Galaxy S7 Active as the rugged, tough big brother to the S7; one that is able to take drops to the concrete and handle liquid poured directly onto it. Memorable commercials featured rapper Lil Wayne completely dousing an S7 Edge with champagne and even submerging it in a fish tank to show the phone’s extreme water resistance. Usually, when a company is confident enough to base commercials on the feature of a product, that product is actually as capable as advertised. The phone failed tests, though, and now Samsung has vowed to fix the flaw.

Read the full story here.

Three blind mice just got their vision restored — could humans be next?

WR_06_07_24
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Three blind mice are no longer blind. No, not the three blind mice (your nursery rhyme is safe), but rather a group of rodents at Stanford University. These three lucky mammals represent the first success stories in “restoring multiple key aspects of vision,” the Stanford news center reports, and it may be the first step in restoring sight for blind humans.

Read the full story here.

People are now buying and selling their Pokémon Go accounts for cash

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We can once again add to the list of Pokémon Go’s ubiquity, as the game that is redefining the world “popular” now has users swapping their accounts for cold hard cash. The competition between friends and gamers around the world is at a high, so it was only a matter of time before people began selling user credentials to power-hungry Pokémon hunters.

Read the full story here.

LG is reportedly taking on Samsung with a foldable phone of its own

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Looks like Samsung may not be the first to come out with a flexible phone after all — or at least not the only one to do so. According to recent reports, LG is preparing to commercially release devices with flexible displays as early as next year. Of course, the company is no stranger to the flexible display — we’ve seen plenty of flexible prototypes from the company over the past few years, and while certainly not ready for consumer devices, they have been getting better.

Read the full story here.

Astonishingly detailed brain map doubles the number of known areas in the cortex

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This is a good week to be interested in all things brain science. That’s because researchers involved with the Human Connectome Project have announced that they’ve created a brand new map of the brain that doubles the total number of known areas identified in the cortex.

Read the full story here.

Your butt just might thank you for getting a bidet from Tushy

WR_10_07_24
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We need to talk about your business. Yes, that business. Nature’s call, if you will. And we want to address that business with another b-word — the bidet. Meet Tushy, described by its developers as “a lil’ bidet that clips onto your toilet and sprays your butt super clean.” Hey, those are their words.

Read the full story here.

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
An Apple insider just revealed how iOS 18’s AI features will work
An iPhone 15 Pro Max laying face-down outside, showing the Natural Titanium color.

As Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) inches closer, the chatter around the company’s AI work has taken a feverish turn. In a year when smartphone and computing brands have focused solely on AI niceties, Apple has been uncharacteristically silent around the AI hype — eliciting concern about the brand missing the train.

However, a new report has given us a closer look at how Apple's AI dreams may come to fruition with its iOS 18 update later this year.
New details on Apple's AI plans

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Best Samsung Galaxy S22 deals: Save big on unlocked models
The back of the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus.

For a couple of years now the Samsung Galaxy S22 has made for some of the best phone deals you can shop. This includes both the Galaxy S22 and its big brother in the lineup, the Samsung Galaxy S22+. These phones have been out for a little while now, and they’re getting more and more difficult to find brand new. We’ve managed to find a few deals available on both the Galaxy S22 and the Galaxy S22+, however, and there are several ways to save on refurbished models out there. We’ve rounded up all of the best Samsung Galaxy S22 deals taking place at a number of different retailers, so read onward for all of the details on how to save.
Samsung Galaxy S22 deals at Samsung

Samsung isn’t currently carrying very many older models of the Samsung Galaxy S phone. You’ll find some newer models like the recently released Samsung Galaxy S24 there, but if you’re looking for something from the S22 model lineup all you’ll find is a Galaxy S22 renewed model. It’s offering some great savings, however, as you can claim it for just $679 with up to $300 in trade-in savings.

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Best Apple Watch deals: Series 9 and Ultra 2 discounted
Someone wearing an Apple Watch Ultra 2, showing the Modular Ultra watch face.

The Apple Watch has become one of the best smartwatches on the market. And while Apple deals are traditionally somewhat difficult to come by, the Apple Watch has always been a good Apple product to turn to for some savings. That’s certainly the case right now, as some of the best smartwatch deals are on various Apple Watch models, and several models are offering substantial savings. From the Apple Watch Ultra 2 to older Apple Watch models that come in at relatively low prices, we’ve tracked down all of the best Apple Watch deals taking place right now. Read onward and you’ll find plenty of details on how to save, as well as some information on which Apple Watch may best suit your needs.
Best Apple Watch SE deals

The first-generation Apple Watch SE, which was released in 2020, and the second-generation Apple Watch SE, which was rolled out in 2022, are the most affordable ways of getting an Apple Watch. They don't give up too much in order to keep costs low compared to their more expensive peers though. The Apple Watch SE 2, in particular, still provides comprehensive fitness tracking features, a comfortable fit, and excellent software as it can be updated to Apple's latest watchOS 10.

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