Skip to main content

Weekly Rewind: The next moonshot, quantum computer duets, stateside Skodas

top tech stories 08 7 2016 wr 8 head
Moon Express
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 the reasons behind Pokémon Go’s popularity to a suitcase that follows you around, it’s all right here.

A game designer explains why ‘Pokémon Go’ blew up (and what’s next)

WR_8_7_01
Image used with permission by copyright holder

As of this week, Pokémon Go is, by almost every measure, the most successful mobile game ever created. In the short time since its release, the game has been installed on tens of millions of smartphones. In cities across America (and the world) millions of people are leaving their homes to play the most popular Pokémon game of all time. Why is that?

Read the full story here.

5 reasons why the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is the big, beautiful phone you should buy

WR_8_7_10
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Samsung has done a superb job of tempting us with its Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge phones this year, but it may have outdone itself with the Galaxy Note 7. The latter is a larger version of the S7 Edge, one that comes with a handy stylus tucked inside for those times you feel like scribbling something down with a pen. We’ve spent some time with the Galaxy Note 7 and we’re really impressed. If you’re almost ready to hand over your money for one, but are hesitant, we’ve got five reasons why you should take the plunge.

Read the full story here.

U.S. government approves first-ever moon landing for a private venture

WR_8_7_9
Image used with permission by copyright holder

For the first time, the U.S. government has granted regulatory approval for a commercial company to travel beyond Earth and land on the Moon. The historic authorization was granted to Moon Express, one of sixteen private enterprises vying for the Google Lunar XPRIZE, a competition that will award $30 million to the first privately funded team to land a rover on the Moon, travel 500 meters, and send high-definition images and video back to Earth.

Read the full story here.

Here boy! This robot suitcase will follow you around like a faithful dog

WR_8_7_02
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Who doesn’t love the thought of a faithful old dog walking by their side? It’s one of life’s joys, certainly, but let’s face it, dogs aren’t very good at hauling your stuff around. Meet the Cowarobot R1, an incredible robotic suitcase that follows you around, will come when it’s called, and has considerably more storage space than the average dog.

Read the full story here.

Xiaomi announces the Mi VR Play, a virtual reality headset for your smartphone

WR_8_7_03
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi just jumped feet first into virtual reality. On Thursday, the firm announced the Mi VR Play, an “entry-level” headset that relies on your smartphone to deliver VR apps, games, movies, and TV shows. It’s oddly made of Lycra (the same stuff as your stunning bike shorts), features “dual openings” on the front for airflow, and lets you make micro adjustments for fit. Uniquely, it’s able to accommodate a wide range of phones.

Read the full story here.

Recommended Videos

A mezzo-soprano singing with a quantum computer is 2016’s craziest duet

WR_8_7_04
Image used with permission by copyright holder

What do a Welsh mezzo-soprano, a castle in the southwest of England, and a quantum computer in Los Angeles have in common? Answer: They all teamed up recently for a musical performance that, according to its creator, represents the “first computer music algorithm implemented on a quantum computer [and] the first live use of explicit quantum processes in an artistic piece.”

Read the full story here.

Turn the lights off when you sleep to slow the aging process, study suggests

48034299 - hotel room with modern interior
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’re afraid of the dark or just prefer sleeping with a light on, you might want to read this. A new medical study suggests this will make you age faster, and potentially lead a host of other medical problems too. There is already a good deal of research out there on the potential effects of overexposure to artificial light, ranging from poor sleep to far more life-threatening illnesses.

Read the full story here.

Czech carmaker Skoda could return to the U.S. after a 50-year hiatus

WR_8_7_06
Image used with permission by copyright holder

What started out as a wild, seemingly inconceivable rumor turned out to be true: Volkswagen’s Czech Republic-based Škoda division is seriously considering returning to the United States after about five decades of absence. The company’s executives are currently laying out the pros and cons of sending cars to our shores. “During the next year, we want to have the question of North America decided for us,” said company CEO Bernhard Maier in an interview with German newspaper Handelsblatt.

Read the full story here.

Three of the best ’90s platformers revived as classic Disney games appear at GOG

WR_8_7_07
Image used with permission by copyright holder

GOG has announced that a trio of classic Disney platformers are now available to purchase from its storefront. Nostalgic gamers can now purchase DRM-free downloads of Aladdin, The Lion King, and The Jungle Book. While video game adaptations of movies aimed at children are often sub-par, these games stand out from the crowd. Disney licensed their properties out to talented teams including Virgin Games and Westwood Studios, and the titles produced as a result are still remembered fondly to this day.

Read the full story here.

How Comcast plans to pipe 6,000 hours of Olympics coverage into your house

WR_8_7_08
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’re anything like us, you know what it means to have Olympics fever. We’re talking about those “stay up till 4 a.m. to watch Biathlon” kind of fans. If that’s you, Comcast’s plan to broadcast an all-out blitz of coverage for this year’s Rio games should have your mouth watering. Laying out a titanic 6,000 hours of footage, this year’s games could make even staunch cord-cutters who love the thrill of competition ponder going back to the box.

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…
The MediaTek Dimensity 9400 just raised the bar for Android phones
MediaTek Dimensity 9400 inside a phone.

MediaTek is opening the floodgates of next-generation flagship Android phones and tablets with its new silicon. The latest from the Taiwanese company is the Dimensity 9400 chip, which will start appearing inside Android devices in the last quarter of 2024.

The list of upgrades is quite comprehensive for this one and across the board. To start things off, the Dimensity 9400 shifts to TSMC’s second-generation 3nm process node, marking a generational upgrade over its 4nm-based predecessor.

Read more
Garmin may have cool new smartwatch screen tech to show off
The Garmin Forerunner 165 Music sat in an open gym bag.

An unlikely manufacturer may be the first to use a new screen technology on a mobile device. Garmin is being linked with the impending release of a Fenix 8 smartwatch equipped with a MicroLED display, which would be an industry first. It follows the announcement of a partnership between Garmin and Vuzix to develop “next-generation nano-imprinted waveguide with MicroLED based displays”.

Neither Garmin nor Vuzix put a date on when we’d see the initial products from the partnership, but documentation discovered by developers making watch faces for Garmin smartwatches contained reference to a “Fenix 8 MicroLED” model, along with the current Fenix 8 AMOLED models. If the document is genuine, it may indicate such a model is coming soon.

Read more
Amazon Prime Big Deal Days Garmin Watch Deals 2024: Get one for as cheap as $169
Three Forerunner 165 watches stacked on a forest floor.

Update 10/9/24: Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days are here, launching discounts on most models of Garmin fitness trackers and smartwatches. We've rounded up our favorite offers here, but you'll have to hurry if you want to take advantage of any of them as stocks may already be running low.

Prime Big Deal Days is finally online, bringing a lot of Prime Day deals on Garmin watches, pretty much across the board. So, if you're into fitness, camping, hiking, or even extreme sports, now is a great opportunity to get your hands on one of the best brands in the fitness space. To give you an extra hand in finding the best smartwatch deals on Garmin, we've gone out and scoured all the big retailers for the best Garmin deals we can find and listed them below. That said, if you haven't quite found what you're looking for, be sure to also check out these Prime Day smartwatch deals.
Garmin Forerunner 55 -- $169 $200 16% off

Read more