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Weekly Rewind: A spying Google Home Mini, the Nobel winner, 'Star Wars' spoilers

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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 tech stories, from the Oculus Connect 4 keynote to a spying Google Home Mini  — it’s all here.

$199 Oculus Go delivers stand-alone VR with no phone or PC needed

top tech stories oculus go
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During the recent  Oculus Connect 4 keynote, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed that the company is currently working on a stand-alone VR headset called Oculus Go. Similar to the upcoming stand-alone “Daydream” headset initiative from Google and Qualcomm, you won’t need a smartphone to experience virtual reality. You also won’t need to tether the headset to a parent PC like Facebook’s premium VR headset, the Oculus Rift.

According to Zuckerberg, Oculus Go will ship in early 2018 for $199. He didn’t reveal anything else outside the brief tease, but Facebook head of VR Hugo Barro came out on stage to provide a few more details about the upcoming stand-alone VR product. Barro said it targets that sweet spot between high-end and mobile, so you can get a tether-free, device-free full-motion VR experience without breaking the bank.

Read: $199 Oculus Go delivers stand-alone VR with no phone or PC needed

Porsche’s subscription plan lets you check out a new car every day

top tech stories porsche
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Not long ago, getting behind the wheel of a new car was an arduous process. You had to go to a dealer, sift through the countless models and packages, negotiate pricing, and slog your way through a mountain of paperwork. In the past few years, though, automakers have modernized the process by placing their vehicles in easy-to-use and flexible subscription services. Porsche is the latest carmaker to jump on the bandwagon with the Porsche Passport program. In short, it’s sports cars on demand.

Porsche Passport allows drivers to enjoy up to 22 different Porsche products on a month-to-month basis. Accessed through a mobile app, the program offers frequent vehicle exchanges and unlimited mileage for a fixed fee; one that covers vehicle tax, registration, insurance, maintenance, and even detailing.

Read: Porsche’s subscription plan lets you check out a new car every day

Here are the names and achievements behind this year’s Nobel Prizes in Science

top tech stories nobel prize
Rainer Weiss/AFP/Getty Images
Rainer Weiss/AFP/Getty Images

The winners of this year’s Nobel Prizes in Science have been announced and, despite science writer Ed Yong’s thoughtful dismissal of this “absurd anachronistic way of recognizing scientific achievement,” they’re still highly regarded as a pinnacle of achievement.

Awarded annually by the Nobel Foundation and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Nobel Prizes in physics, chemistry, and medicine have been given to some of science’s most accomplished individuals. Winning the award puts honorees in the company of giants like Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, and Niels Bohr.

Here’s a brief breakdown of the tremendous achievements of this year’s winners.

Read: Here are the names and achievements behind this year’s Nobel Prizes in Science

Sony Xperia XZ1 review

top tech stories sony xperia xz1
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The Xperia XZ1 is similar to Sony’s earlier 2017 flagship, the Xperia XZ Premium. It has the same excellent camera that can shoot super slow motion videos at an impressive 960 frames per second. The XZ1 has almost everything you’d want in a smartphone, and in our review, we see if it’s worth your money among the intense competition.

Read: Sony Xperia XZ1 review

Broaden your traveling horizons with websites like Airbnb

top tech stories airbnb
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For better or worse, Airbnb has redefined the travel industry. Millions of people use the site’s listings to land great deals on rooms throughout the world, but it’s not all roses for the online service. Along with complaints regarding the service’s lack of safety protocols and criticism centered around its use tax havens, the company has also been scrutinized for doing too little to deal with the countless complaints it has received about racism, from guests and hosts alike.

Airbnb is trying to win back users with some new features, but for some travelers, supporting the company has become somewhat of an be an ethical conundrum. Thankfully, there are plenty of websites similar to Airbnb, each of which provides something slightly different from the infamous hospitality service. Whether you’re looking to book a family-friendly staycation or a patch of land in rural Montana, check out the Airbnb alternatives below.

Read: Broaden your traveling horizons with websites like Airbnb

California calls on the world’s only 747 SuperTanker to take on wildfires

top tech stories supertanker
CBS

You know it’s serious when you see the world’s only 747 SuperTanker fly overhead.

Dubbed “the world’s biggest fire extinguisher,” this awesome aerial firefighting machine has been called in to help with ongoing efforts to deal with wildfires devastating parts of Northern California.

The modified Boeing 747 is capable of dropping nearly 20,000 gallons of fire retardant in one go, and earlier this week, it made six flights in the space of a single day from Sacramento to affected areas in Napa and Sonoma counties around 40 miles north of San Francisco. Each flight lasted between 31 and 47 minutes.

Read: California calls on the world’s only 747 SuperTanker to take on wildfires

Who will be the last Jedi? Everything we know about ‘Star Wars: Episode VIII’

top tech stories star wars
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We don’t think Luke would ever go over to the dark side; after all, he was strong enough to single-handedly rebuff Vader’s attempt to sway him at the end of Empire Strikes Back, and he didn’t even consider joining Emperor Palpatine in Return of the Jedi.

A new theater display from IMAX seems to hint at the unthinkable, however. The walk-through display features two alternate versions of the film’s poster — one with the “light side” protagonists, and one with the “dark side” antagonists.

Read: Who will be the last Jedi? Everything we know about ‘Star Wars: Episode VIII’

A Google Home Mini inadvertently recorded everything a reporter said in his home

top tech stories google home mini
Dan Baker/Digital Trends
Dan Baker/Digital Trends

We place an awful lot of trust in our smart home hubs and speakers, allowing them to live in our living rooms, our bedrooms, and even our bathrooms. But we may want to think twice about this blind acceptance. A rather bizarre incident took place involving one of the new Google Home Mini devices debuted at the tech giant’s October 4 event, and Android Police writer Artem Russakovskii. Per Russakovskii’s report, a rogue Mini “spied on everything [he] said,” and transmitted much of this information to Google, as well. Talk about an invasion of privacy.

Read: A Google Home Mini inadvertently recorded everything a reporter said in his home

The cryptocurrency from this wind-powered mining rig helps fund climate research

top tech stories cryptocurrency
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Given the fact that, for now, Earth’s the only home we’ve got, climate change is a subject well worth researching. But how do you fund this research? If you’re anything like artist-engineer Julian Oliver, the answer is simple: use wind energy to mine for cryptocurrency to pay for it, of course. It’s a nifty idea — not least because it means that the more pronounced the meteorological effects of climate change turn out to be, the more money gets pumped into researching the topic.

Read: The cryptocurrency from this wind-powered mining rig helps fund climate research

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…
Nothing Phone (3a) and (3a) Pro specifications hinted at in a fresh rumor
The Nothing Phone 2a Plus's camera and Glyph Interface lights.

Nothing, the mobile and lifestyle tech brand founded by OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, is set to launch its next set of mid-rangers early in March. Official details of the devices, including Nothing Phone (3a) and (3a) Pro, have been scanty, but a new leak hints at the tentative specifications, including upgrades coming to the processor, new camera setup, and other improvements to the design.

Earlier, Pei had teased the Nothing Phone (3a) series is moving to a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip instead of MediaTek seen on the Phone (2a) and (2a) Plus. This week's leak, courtesy of a tip received by Indian outlet SmartPrix, corroborates it and states that both phones with be powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 -- a mid-range chipset launched in August 2024.

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Google is testing shortcut for the upcoming ‘AI Mode’ for search on mobile
Google search on Android app.

Google is ramping up efforts to make AI overviews more comprehensive and visible in search results. As it looks to evolve the overviews into more elaborate responses, the search giant might also include them in search results on mobile apps on Android and iOS.

Google is reportedly experimenting with a shortcut within its Android app for the expected "AI Mode," which is currently being tested internally. Android Authority reverse-engineered the WIP feature and discovered an AI mode shortcut that sits right under the search bar.

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With this new Android 16 feature, you’re one click away from enhanced protection
Someone holding a phone showing the Android 16 logo on its screen.

Android 16 is set to offer improved security for apps and services. Android Authority says this feature allows users to enhance their device’s security with a single click, surpassing Google’s Advanced Protection Program introduced in 2017.

The current feature is available to anyone with a Google account. It is recommended for individuals at higher risk of attacks, such as political campaign staff, journalists, activists, and business leaders. The program implements security keys or passkeys for signing in, provides additional protection against harmful downloads, and safeguards personal information by restricting access to Google Account data. Additionally, it offers enhanced protection against phishing and unauthorized access.

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