Author: Brett Venter

Samsung’s upcoming Unpacked event next week will introduce the world to the Galaxy Fold 8 Ultra (plus the standard Fold 8, and maybe a Flip). But you don’t have to wait until then to get most of the details. Samsung’s newest foldables have all emerged from the woodwork, via a range of reliable sources. The early debut isn’t anything unusual for Samsung. Either the company has the worst opsec in tech, or the leaks are permitted internally for hype reasons. Whatever the truth actually is, here’s what you need to know about the South Korean company’s new foldables. Besides local…

There are two basic kinds of commercial robots — humanoid and quadruped. The Qiyuan T1 attempts to be both. As the name suggests, it’s unlikely you’ll see one outside of China for now, but the company’s marketing presentation looks… pretty impressive. Good marketing isn’t necessarily an indication of an excellent product, but it does help. Qiyuan’s robot is being pitched as an in-home assistant of sorts, capable of venturing out shopping or… helping kids with homework? Try again, Qiyuan T1 The design for the Qiyuan T1 isn’t especially novel. It’s surprising that no other robotics manufacturers have jumped on it…

Honor’s Robot Phone has been kicking around for some time, though the Chinese brand has remained secretive about most of the device. The coolest bits are already known, of course. The smartphone will ship with a fold-out camera that tucks away when not in use, making it a little like an Osmo Pocket. The other details? Those have been less available, until now. Leaks from China (where else?) reveal the phone’s screen, processor, and camera lens details. There’s also a hint that this one will be pricey… but we all knew that was coming. Robot Phone home Chinese leaker DigitalChatStation…

AI is being passed around as the next best thing to come from the world of technology. The most recent pronouncement on the topic comes from SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son. Speaking at the company’s annual conference in Tokyo this week, Son claimed that artificial intelligence will require $5 trillion per year by 2040. Not to turn a profit. Simply to function. “Every year $5 trillion, or 800 trillion yen, you might ​think that’s a lie, but I am confident that’s what it will cost,” Son said, as reported by Reuters. The SoftBank CEO also claimed that the idea of an…

Microsoft continues to find a use for artificial intelligence that everyone will use. The latest Copilot feature for Windows 11 is something called PC Insights, which will… give you insight into what your PC is doing. According to a report from Windows Latest, the feature is out in parts of the US. It’s currently rolling out more broadly. It’s supposed to tell you all manner of information about the machine you’re working on, from RAM usage details to troubleshooting. It’ll also, according to the report, use 1GB of RAM while it’s running, whether you’re using it or not. Ironic. Who…

We knew that Huawei’s Pura 90s would turn up some time today. We didn’t realise it would be quite this early, probably because we forgot how far away Malaysia actually is. At its launch even in Kuala Lumpur, the Chinese company revealed its latest smartphone. Or smartphones, rather, since there are two versions. The focus, as expected, is on the 90s’ camera. The main sensor, at least in the Pro Max version of the phone, is something Huawei reckons is its “industry-leading 200MP Ultra Large Sensor Telephoto Camera 2.” It doesn’t feature that rumoured 20x zoom, but a lot is…

Honor’s Watch 6 Plus is getting a sport-specific special edition in its home country. It’s a little more extreme than Huawei’s Watch GT 6 Pro golf partnership, of course, but if you like going fast, this one’s for you. The Chinese brand has revealed a Zhang Xue-branded Motorcycle Edition version of its excellent wearable. You might not have heard of Zhang Xue, but that’s what we’re for. The gent in question founded ZXMOTO, a Chinese motorcycle company. One of its most recent outings is its ZXMOTO 820RR (and 820RR-R), a very sexy-looking sports bike. Watch 6 Plus leans in hard…

Reflect Orbital has gained FCC approval to test its Earendil-1 satellite in space. If you don’t recall what the company does (and what it wants to do), these are the space mirrors folks who want to sell the world on-demand sunlight. It’s not like sunlight isn’t already free most of the time. You just have to wait for it to turn up again once the sun sets. But Earendil-1 hopes to test the concept that Reflect has already trialled using (probably) balloons. Now, the US Federal Communications Commission has said that they can give it a shot. Terms and conditions…

DJI has been conducting various drone tests, but sending its EV50 delivery drone to the world’s tallest mountain peak is a serious achievement. Maybe there’s something in the wind that’s sending tech to Mount Everest. A Unitree robot is supposed to get there (eventually) as well. The Chinese drone-maker’s efforts with its EV50 eVTOL delivery drone are just part of a larger effort that saw the company’s other drones also working in the area. The DJI FlyCart 100 and Matrice 4E also handled tasks at Mount Qomolangma (or Sagarmāthā, depending on who you reckon Everest belongs to). Drop and give…

Is a cyberdeck still a cyberdeck when its creators call it a PDA? The PocketMage is a “personal digital assistant designed to reclaim the utility of pocketable computing,” according to its creators. What it looks like is a small computer that comes right out of a 1980s vision of a tech future. It also looks like it’s been installed in a small plastic storage case at first glance. There may be a reason for that… It has more in common with similar writer-specific devices, and not just because it uses an e-paper display. PocketMage casts Focus PocketMage is, relatively speaking,…