Honor’s Robot Phone finally has an official launch date
We’ve been checking out Honor’s Robot Phone since it was first revealed. Soon, you won’t have to win a World Cup before the Chinese company lets you touch one. Honor has revealed the official unveiling date for the wild and wacky smartphone via Chinese social media. It’s not that far away, either. The China-based event takes place on 12 August this year. On that date, we’ll be able to put all of the rumours and speculation to rest. It’s not like we don’t know what the Robot Phone will look like or what it’ll do, but official confirmation (and, hopefully, some details of an international launch) will go a long way to making us calm down. At worst, it’ll make folks anxious for the pre-order option to open up so one of these oddball phones can finally be reserved.
Don’t lie, you want a R23,500 Optimus Prime robot toy
There are toys for kids, and then there are toys you stick on a shelf and keep grasping hands far, far away from. The new Robosen Fallen Leader Optimus Prime G1 is the latter. Priced at $1,400 (R23,500), though discounted to $1,000 (R16,750) during the pre-order period, this launch commemorates the 40th anniversary of the surprisingly decent 1986 Transformers animated film. You’re not just getting a special edition toy, either. Robosen has released a video showing just why you’ll pay five figures (in South Africa) for one. The ability to automatically go from Optimus’ truck to robot form is just the start. Peter Cullen performs the Autobot leader’s voice. It’s fully app-controlled, can interact with Robotsen’s Megatron and Bumblebee models, and… oh, yes, there are only 1,000 of them on offer for North America. If you’re planning to somehow acquire one, just think about how you feel about Optimus Prime and realise that you’re probably not alone. Worse, those folks also have twenty-five grand to throw at this thing.
Meta’s smart glasses subscription test is on hold “for now”
Earlier this month, we heard that Meta was mucking around with its newly launched subscriptions. One of the things that would require a monthly sub was something called Conversation Focus, a smart glasses feature. The function was to be subject to a rate limit, expanded (but still limited) by an active subscription. It seemed a bit odd for a feature that seems to run offline. And perhaps it was. Meta has now said that it is “pausing its subscription test for now. Conversation focus will remain available for free through our Early Access Program for early testers while we work on a better approach.” It’s the right call, but it also leaves the door open for Meta to try and monetise the glasses in another way. It is clear, though, that features that launch for free from Meta will eventually go paid-for. It’s the same model being used by all other AI companies, with pricing being slowly introduced (and then largely complained about and possibly rejected) over time. We’re sure Mark Zuckerberg’s company will be the one to figure it all out.
The We Are Rewind × Pink Floyd WE‑001 cassette player comes with a remastered Dark Side of the Moon cassette tape
So you have R3,300 and a sudden burning desire to listen to cassette tapes? If you’re also keen to spend at least that much on each vintage tape you purchase, the We Are Rewind x Pink Floyd WE-001 cassette player might be a good starting point. One of these will set you back R3,350 ($200), plus shipping. You’ll also snag yourself a copy of Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. Don’t get too excited; it’s the 2023 remastered 50th anniversary edition of the iconic album. Still, if you fire it up at just the right moment while watching the 1939 Wizard of Oz with Judy Garland… if you know, you know. We Are Rewind’s player solves most of the issues classic cassette tape players used to have. There’s a 2,000mAh battery inside, giving up to twelve hours of playtime before you have to recharge. That’ll save a fortune in AA Duracells. It also supports both wired and Bluetooth headphones, so you can choose just how retro you want your audio experience to be.
