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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)

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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…
Best smartwatch deals: Samsung, Google, Apple, and Garmin
A woman receives a call on her Google Pixel Watch.

Fitness, fashion, function, all of the above. Pick your poison, but either way, a smartwatch makes a great tech accessory. Even better, right now's a great way to save with a lot of smartwatch deals going on across several retailers. You’ll find several of the best smartwatches and best fitness trackers with their prices discounted right now, and among the current smartwatch deals are brands like Garmin, Apple, Samsung, and Google. With so many ways to save on a smartwatch out there, we’ve tracked down the best smartwatch deals and compiled them all in one place. So whether you’re in the market for an Apple Watch or a Pixel Watch, a Galaxy Watch or a Garmin, read up on the best smartwatch deals below.
Best Fitbit deals

You'd be forgiven for thinking Fitbit left the scene a while ago. They haven't and they're still providing excellent smartwatches like the Fitbit Sense 2. It's specifically designed to help you stress less, sleep better, and live healthier. All-day stress detection can help you recognize stressful events and manage them to carry on stress-free. Sleep profiles and sleep reports teach you about the quality of your previous night’s sleep. Heart rate tracking and fitness tracking are part of the package, and the Fitbit Sense 2 even has built-in GPS. Of course, that's just one model from the brand.

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This is your best look yet at the Samsung Galaxy S24 series
Leaked renders of Galaxy S24 series in purple.

Just over a week ago, a handful of purported real-life shots of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra appeared online predicting a slightly refined look. Now, the folks over at Windows Report have shared alleged product renders of the entire Galaxy S24 trio ahead of a rumored January 27 launch. 
It seems the in-hand photos of the Ultra trim, which appeared on X (formerly Twitter) a few days ago, were the real deal. Samsung hasn’t given any aesthetic makeover to the top-tier model -- the flat sides are here to stay, and so is the floating ring aesthetic for the camera lenses at the back.
The only two key changes are a different material for the frame and a couple of new colors. Shoppers will have the option of a new yellow shade that was recently seen on the Samsung Store-exclusive variant of its Galaxy Z flip foldable phone. Then there's a new purple trim, which looks identical to the same shade on the Galaxy S23 FE, down to the contrasting metal frame polish.
Gray and black will be the other shades on the table. The biggest change is that Samsung, following in the footsteps of the iPhone 15 Pro, is reportedly using Titanium for the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The regular and Plus variants will likely stick with armored aluminum and a glass back with Corning Gorilla Glass protection.

The rumored specification list is your usual flagship-tier affair and includes Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, a 120Hz OLED display, 12GB RAM, up to 1TB storage, and a 5,000mAh battery.
The report notes that the vapor chamber cooling system inside the S24 Ultra will be nearly twice as big as its predecessor's, which was already in a league of its own. Buyers can expect the phone to maintain its cool during demanding tasks such as gaming, high-res video capture, and generative AI-aligned tasks.
The camera hardware also remains the same as this year's Ultra phone, save for a curious change to the zoom camera. Instead of a 10-megapixel periscope camera with an industry-leading 10x optical zoom output that we saw on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, the upcoming phone is said to embrace a 50-megapixel sensor, but with a lower 5x optical zoom range.

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Best Apple deals: AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, and MacBook
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Apple products are praised for their high quality and interconnectivity, but that quality does come with a price. This is one large reason why we look for great Apple deals to shop, as it sometimes really is worth the wait. To help you out, we've compiled some of our favorite deals on all of the major categories of Apple products. Try these deals first next time you're looking to expand or upgrade your Apple collection.
Best iPad deals

Whether you're wanting to get a standard iPad, an iPad Air, or an iPad Mini, their is a sale on for you at the moment. If, however, one of the iPad Pro models is among the best iPads for you, don't worry too much about holding off. These deals are small, typically taking off around 10% of the price, and are more of a bonus if you already wanted the model rather than an incentive to choose it over something you really wanted. Meanwhile, if you're willing to go refurbished, our larger collection of the best iPad deals has larger deals and you can find an iPad Pro.

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