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Weekly Rewind: Vinyl records worth more than your car, Prime Day prep, AI rights

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A lot can happen in a week when it comes to tech. The constant onslaught of news makes it nigh impossible for mere mortals with real lives to keep track of everything. That’s why we’ve compiled a quick and dirty list of this week’s top 10 tech stories, from how to make the most out of Prime Day to how we ought to feel about sex robots — it’s all here.

Microsoft’s Steven Bathiche redefined the PC, and he wants to do it again

steven-bathicher
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Microsoft is on a good run. Over the past half-decade, it has released a popular new desktop operating system, built multiple award-winning PCs that’ve pushed the industry forward, and established itself as a leader in exciting new fields, including augmented reality and artificial intelligence.

It’s easy to imagine this turn-around as a victory for Windows 10, Surface, Azure, or CEO Satya Nadella, who took the reins in 2014 — and such congratulations would not be misplaced. Yet the story of Microsoft’s comeback isn’t just about stock prices and executive appointments. Equal credit can be given to the company’s tradition of innovative research — conducted by scientists like Steven Bathiche.

Read: Microsoft’s Steven Bathiche redefined the PC, and he wants to do it again

To understand America’s Jeep obsession, you’ve gotta get muddy

White Jeep Wrangler Unlimited driving through a creekbed

Nissan is about to give the all-electric Leaf a full makeover. It’s about time, too; the current, first-generation Nissan Leaf has been on the market since the end of 2010, and it’s getting a little bit long in the tooth. Its replacement won’t break cover for another few months, but the Japanese company is giving us an early look at some of its headline-grabbing tech features. Over the weekend, Nissan USA tweeted a teaser image of its new Leaf, then added a background image showing the car’s entire front end (which has since been removed). The image is our best look yet at the redesigned EV.

The next Leaf will finally usher in Nissan’s suite of semi-autonomous driving features, a sign that the once-expensive technology is trickling down to more affordable models. Named ProPilot Assist, the software relies on sensors and cameras to help control acceleration, braking, and steering. It only works on the highway, particularly in dense traffic, and its job is merely to keep the car in its lane. Don’t expect it to change lanes on its own like the systems built by Mercedes-Benz and Tesla.

Read: To understand America’s Jeep obsession, you’ve gotta get muddy

New report explores the good, the bad, and the ugly about sex robots

sex robot
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“There are absolutely some benefits to the technology but, like everything else, there is a balance,” Aimee van Wynsberghe, assistant professor in ethics and technology at the Technical University of Delft and FRR co-director, said in a statement. “You have to strike a balance between lack of regulation — so we have all different uses and personifications of children and women as sexual objects — or you have overregulation and you stifle the technology. You have to find the way to balance so you really can harness the good.”

Read: New report explores the good, the bad, and the ugly about sex robots

Kirio smart homes don’t just alert you to problems, they can fix them

Kirio Smart Homes lifestyle shot of couple in their living room
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A couple years ago, Franck Rougier’s kids started waking up with headaches. His family had recently moved from New York to Seattle, into one of the U.S.’s only passive homes. “It was a complicated home,” Rougier told Digital Trends. “It had a lot of tech in there.” Despite his background in mechanical engineering, Rougier hadn’t fully figured out how to properly ventilate the energy-efficient, air-tight house, and CO2 was getting trapped in the bedrooms. Instead of manually working the ventilation system, he looked for an automated solution. He struck out. “Even the builder had never lived in a passive house,” he said.

Instead, Rougier built his own, which would eventually become Kirio, a built-in home automation system that controls everything from lights to heating and cooling to the water tank. And it’s not just for passive homes.

There are countless smart-home hubs homeowners can buy, but Kirio gets installed before you buy your home, while it’s being built. It can control both what builder would put in — air conditioning, lighting, water, and so on, and the homeowner’s favorite gadgets — Nest thermostats, Alexa speakers, and smart locks, for example. “As long as something has a serial or diagnostic port, we can control it,” said Kirio’s CEO, Rob Green. The benefit is that instead of having your third-party sensor alert you there’s a leak, Kirio gets the message and sends another one out to shut off the water.

Read: Kirio smart homes don’t just alert you to problems, they can fix them

Top 5 cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb suffers major data breach

It’s easy to get a bit discouraged lately when it comes to securing our personal data. There are so many different methods being used by cyber criminals to get access to our data that it is tempting to just give up on the notion of keeping our information to ourselves. Cybercriminals use a variety of electronic means to break into systems, whether it is our own PCs or those maintained by the hundreds of companies with which we do business. Sometimes, it is the combination that does the trick — a breach in an individual’s PC serves as a gateway to organizational data and results in our information making its way into the wild. Such seems to be the case in an attack on the Bithumb cryptocurrency exchange.

The news comes via Hot for Security, based on information from some local reports in Seoul, Korea where the attack occurred. Apparently, a Bithumb employee’s PC was compromised and customer information including mobile phone and email addresses were stolen. The breach occurred on June 29 and around 30,000 customers were affected.

Read: Top 5 cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb suffers major data breach

Up your ‘gram game: how to get more Instagram followers

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In the digital age, the thirst for followers (and elusive likes) is very real. However, outside of our social circles, it can be difficult to add followers in order to promote our brand or simply stroke our egos. That said, there are plenty of easy ways to gain more Instagram followers. You may not garner as many likes as Selena Gomez anytime soon, but these helpful tips should bring your page to a broader audience. And don’t worry about all of these new people perusing the posts you’d like to keep private: The new Favorites feature allows you to share certain posts with only a selective group of friends. Read on to find out how to get more followers on Instagram.

Read: Up your ‘gram game: how to get more Instagram followers

I, Alexa: Should we give artificial intelligence human rights?

Douglas Adams’ second Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy book, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, tells the story of a futuristic smart elevator called the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation Happy Vertical People Transporter. This artificially intelligent elevator works by predicting the future, so it can appear on the right floor to pick you up even before you know you want to get on — thereby “eliminating all the tedious chatting, relaxing, and making friends that people were previously forced to do whilst waiting for elevators.”

The ethics question, Adams explains, comes when the intelligent elevator becomes bored of going up and down all day, and instead decides to experiment with moving from side to side as a “sort of existential protest.”

Read: I, Alexa: Should we give artificial intelligence human rights?

These drool-worthy albums are among the most expensive vinyl records on Earth

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As more and more listeners embrace the vinyl resurgence, vinyl fans around the world are increasingly on the hunt for the coolest wax to spin on their newly acquired analog hi-fis. We’d all love to find that hidden first pressing of Sgt. Peppers at the local record shop. But the rarest, most expensive vinyl records in the world aren’t for playing — unless you’re just that baller. Worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in some cases, the world’s most sought after records aren’t just antiques or even works of art, they’re tangible time stamps of rock ‘n roll history, each with its own story to tell.

To tell those stories we’ve compiled a list of some of the most expensive and drool-worthy vinyl records on the planet. And while none of us will likely get our paws on any of these gems, a vinyl fan can dream. So follow us below for the rarest, strangest, and just plain coolest cuts ever pressed. While you’re at it, be sure to check out our vinyl tips on everything from how to buy and store your first vinyl collection, to which are the best record players and phono preamps to nab so you can build a killer turntable setup of your own.

Read: These drool-worthy albums are among the most expensive vinyl records on Earth

Prime Day starts today if you’re an Amazon Prime member and an Alexa user

prime day
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Prime Day is fast approaching, and this time, Amazon really, really wants you to get in on the action. And it’s attempting to entice you with, what else, Alexa. The handy virtual assistant is not only good at helping you pay your bills, but can help you spend money, too. On Wednesday, July 5, the Seattle-based retail giant announced that Alexa has more than 100 exclusive deals available to Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Show, Amazon Tap, Fire TV, or compatible Fire tablet owners.

And those choosing to take advantage of Prime Day (which, by the way, isn’t until July 10) will have access to certain deals two hours before everyone else. So if you’re looking for a reason to buy an Amazon Alexa-enabled device, the promise of spending even more money in the near future may be the motivation you need.

Read: Prime Day starts today if you’re an Amazon Prime member and an Alexa user

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…
Visible just made its unlimited 5G plan better than ever
Visible wireless phones and plans featured

Digital wireless service provider Visible has announced upgrades to its premium Visible+ phone plan. The highlight is a new Global Pass feature that allows Visible customers to use their phones in 140 countries worldwide.

The Visible Global Pass offers unlimited talk and text services, along with 2GB of high-speed data, for a flat rate of $10 per day. Visible+ members can also enjoy a free Global Pass usage day every month. The activation process can be done through the Visible app.

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The OnePlus Watch 2 is the Wear OS smartwatch I’ve been waiting for
Person wearing OnePlus Watch 2 with a green strap on their left wrist.

The OnePlus Watch 2 -- the company's first Wear OS watch -- has entered a market that Samsung dominates. However, OnePlus' popularity as a smartphone brand can be expected to bring small, yet meaningful changes that benefit not only OnePlus users, but all of the Wear OS segment in general.

For almost a decade, Samsung and Apple have predominantly been the default options if you want a smartwatch that is actually useful and goes beyond flashy features. With Samsung shifting gears and migrating from its own Tizen OS to the (relatively) more universal Wear OS platform and Google releasing its own Pixel Watch after struggling with an identity crisis in the smartwatch world, the platform has much more traction than it did a few years ago. As OnePlus carves its way into the segment, it has the opportunity to entice people who don't wish to live within Samsung's limitations when using a Galaxy Watch with another brand's phone.

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Buying an iPad Mini today? You need to know about this deal
The Apple Pencil attaches to the iPad mini magnetically.

If you've had an eye on iPad deals for the latest model of the Apple iPad Mini for a while now, this may be the offer that you've been waiting for -- a $100 discount from Best Buy on the tablet's Wi-Fi, 64GB model, slashing its price to $400 from $500. It's still pretty popular years after its release, so we don't expect stocks of the device for this sale to last long. If you're thinking about taking advantage of this bargain, you better push through with your purchase as soon as possible to make sure that you don't miss out on the savings.

Why you should buy the Apple iPad Mini 2021
The latest generation of the Apple iPad Mini was released in 2021, but it's still featured in our roundup of the best iPads because it's the model that you should buy if you want a smaller and more compact version of Apple's tablets. Its 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display is smaller than the screens of its peers, but it's still big enough to enjoy watching streaming shows and browsing websites, while allowing you to use the device with one hand. Unlike its predecessor, there's no Home button, so the Touch ID sensor is instead built into the power button at the side of the Apple iPad Mini 2021.

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