Samsung’s latest slabs made from ocean waste
Tech companies are increasingly focusing their efforts on developing more environmentally sustainable products. Whether they do this by removing the charging block or changing packaging, it’s not always in the end user’s best interest. Samsung’s bringing that same energy to the upcoming Galaxy S22 range of devices, which will be made from discarded fishing nets.
The company confirmed in a recent blog post (yeah, this one’s not a leak), that its upcoming devices are made from a new material. This material is made from abandoned fishing nets or “repurposed ocean-bound plastics” that could pose a threat to marine life in general. The blog post doesn’t detail which parts of the device’s construction will be made up of the material. It does go on to detail that future devices across all its products will incorporate this new sustainable material. “Collecting and repurposing these nets are vital first steps in keeping our oceans clean as well as preserving the planet and our collective future.”
Samsung plans to unveil its latest in mobile technology with the Galaxy S22 lineup this Wednesday, 9 February 2022 at 17:00 in South Africa. We’re expecting to see three smartphones in the shapes of a base S22, an S22 Plus and an S22 Ultra. We’re excited to see how Samsung incorporates its sustainable vision into these and any other products it’s planning to launch.
Source: Samsung blog
Rockstar confirms the existence of Grand Theft Auto 6
We’re nearing the 10th anniversary of the beloved Grand Theft Auto V title made by Rockstar. The studio’s previous GTA game was released back in 2013, which means the world’s well-prepared for another in the series. Luckily, the existence of GTA 6 was confirmed by the studio this weekend, and development is “well underway”.
“With the unprecedented longevity of GTAV, we know many of you have been asking us about a new entry in the Grand Theft Auto series. With every new project we embark on, our goal is always to significantly move beyond what we have previously delivered — and we are pleased to confirm that active development for the next entry in the Grand Theft Auto series is well underway. We look forward to sharing more as soon as we are ready…” a Rockstar spokesperson says in a press release.
While rumours regarding the development of the title have plagued fans for a few years, no concrete announcements have surfaced until now. According to IGN, Rockstar patented a new navigation system for NPCs last year, which could possibly be for the incoming GTA title. There isn’t any more concrete info, unfortunately, but it’s good to know GTA’s not dead.
Source: IGN
Starlink is obscuring astronomers’ view of space
The more human-made devices we place in space, the more we’ll obscure our view of the great dark abyss. According to the latest research, SpaceX’s (impressive) collection of Starlink satellites is increasingly obstructing the view of astronomers’ favourite subject.
This doesn’t mean that the satellites are physically large, or taking up space in a telescopic lens – they’re corrupting imaging with flares and streaks. “The study found a 35-fold increase in Zwicky Transient Facility [ZTF] images taken during twilight that were corrupted by streaks – from less than 0.5% in late 2019 to 18% in August, 2021,” Business Insider reports. That’s thanks to the company’s 1,900 satellites which will deliver high-speed internet to earthlings from the sky. This makes up a fraction of the 12,000 satellites the company has approval to place in low-Earth orbit.
“We find that the number of affected images is increasing with time as SpaceX deploys more satellites,” the researchers detailed. “We estimate that once the size of the Starlink constellation reaches 10,000, essentially all ZTF images taken during twilight may be affected.”
Source: Business Insider
Spotify removes 113 Joe Rogan episodes due to mention of the n-word
Spotify’s been through a few rough weeks recently, facing criticism over keeping one of its podcast hosts, the controversial Joe Rogan on its platform. This mainly followed the host’s stance of vaccines, spreading COVID-19 misinformation and just being an all-round conspiracy theorist.
Now the platform’s decision to remove certain Joe Rogan Experience podcast episodes comes courtesy of another social infringement. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek issued a late-night memo addressing Rogan’s use of the n-word in his podcast shows. “The total number of deleted Joe Rogan Experience episodes is now 113, according to the website jremissing.com,” The Verge details.
It’s odd to imagine that the service had no issue with the host’s questionable content previously, and now that it’s under public scrutiny, it’s decided to ‘clean house’. Of course, each podcast host can arguably speak about whatever their hearts desire, but Rogan has to understand the extent of his reach and the effect his words have on his listeners. Ek seems to kinda understand that. “He goes on to say Spotify spoke with Rogan and his team about ‘some of the content in his show, including his history of using some racially insensitive language.’ Following these chats ‘and his own reflections,’ Ek says Rogan ‘chose to remove a number of episodes from Spotify’.”
Source: The Verge