Enter MicroLED
Anyone who’s into tech will know that OLED is the go-to for the time being. It’s everywhere — TVs, monitors, and game consoles — if you’re willing to put up with larger-than-usual prices. It was only a matter of time before those bigger companies began looking for what’s next. In the case of your Samsung and Apple smartwatches, what’s next might just be MicroLED
That’s what Samsung’s Korea division had to say, anyway (via SamMobile). Samsung said it was considering a larger push into MicroLED panels for smartwatches and signage displays over the coming years. When and where it’ll show up is still a mystery, though. There are rumours that Samsung is looking to copy Apple’s idea for an Ultra model that could feature the newer panels.
That matches the flurry of rumours that Apple is considering exactly the same thing. According to 9to5Mac, Apple will be making the switch to MicroLED for its Ultra smartwatches either in 2024 or 2025, with its iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks to follow suit.
What’s the fuss with MicroLED? We won’t bog you down with the technical stuff, but’s got a couple of benefits over the OLED gold standard. One of the big things is a lack of burn-in, while still maintaining those deep blacks and a brighter (almost LCD-like) display overall.
Threads isn’t going away anytime soon
If you’re counting down the days till you can pick up that Threads account and delete it (without offing your Instagram account too) like we are – you might not like what we’ve got to say next. Threads is showing off its posts on Facebook in a bid to drive engagement. That’s… fine for the twelve people still using both platforms. But for the people that want nothing to do with Threads, not so much.
Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do. Threads, until it stops breathing entirely, will continue to be pushed by Meta’s higher-ups, with Threads already afflicting its presence on Instagram. Give it a few months, and we’ll be covering “Threads posts are coming to WhatsApp.” Mark our words.
Matt Navara was one of the first to notice the influx of Threads on the Blue F, which appeared in the last 24 hours. There’s no telling if Threads’ push to other apps is making a notable difference, as Meta’s been awfully quiet when it comes to the would-be Twitter-killer’s users since its massive first week.
If you are convinced to give Threads another shot, you’ll be welcomed back with open arms and a couple of new features to play with. Are they worth sticking around for? That’s up to you.
This is a 1TB SSD. We’re not joking
Make no mistake. That little thing you see there isn’t our mouse’s receiver dongle or some too-small USB that can’t fit a single 4K move on. No, this is a 1TB SSD from Buffalo, and it’s the world’s lightest (and probably smallest) SSD yet.
It doesn’t exactly have a flashy name – the SSD-PST1.0U3-BA – but it’s the tech we care about. It measures no more than 14.6 x 28 x 8mm and won’t take up more than 4g of weight in your bag. You’ll need a USB-A 3.1 port to get this fired up (that’s where it draws power) and will set you back around $125 (R2,400) to pick it up. Unfortunately, it’s not being sold outside of East Asia.
In terms of speed, Buffalo’s attempt is nowhere near some of the fastest SSD speeds pulled off, but it’ll still fly when compared to your average HDD. It boasts read speeds of 600MB/s and write speeds of 500MB/s according to the company’s CrystalDiskMark testing.
Still, it’s setting a precedent that other companies that do sell locally will hopefully attempt to replicate. Most people aren’t as fussed by read-and-write speeds and just want something that won’t take up much room on a keyring. Hop to it, Seagate.
For the first time ever, a dog will compete at Awesome Games Done Quick
Speedrunning has been a thing for around 40 years – with the competitive playing games-too-quickly scene officially kicking off with EA’s Drag Race rip-off Dragster. Since then, the world birthed Games Done Quick (GDQ) and Awesome Games Done Quick (AGDQ) — biannual speedrunning events that raise money for charity. And now, for the first time ever, a dog is taking part.
A Shibu Inu by the name of Peanut Butter, belonging to streamer JSR_, is going to speedrun the 1985 Nintendo platformer Gyromite – completely unassisted – at this year’s AGDQ event. This isn’t the dog’s first time, either. Last year, it managed a 25-minute run of Gyromite in the Game B – Dog Assistance category on the official Speedrun.com site.
JSR_ has apparently been training Peanut Butter to beat Gyromite for years, first assisting the dog through the runs. According to JSR_’s YouTube video documenting the run, “No assistance, autofire, macros, or save states were used.” That should keep you entertained until the AGDQ event which is scheduled to take place in January of 2024.