Technology

With its 2021 lineup of 4K and 8K QLED TVs, Samsung is introducing a new Eco Remote Control that the company claims will “reduce tons of plastic waste per year” and further its efforts to reduce its environmental impact. From the front, the Eco Remote Control looks like any of Samsung’s TV clickers from recent years. But flip it around and you’ll see a long panel of solar cells that can charge the internal battery. The remote is made from 31 grams of plastic, and Samsung says 28 percent of that comes “from recycled polyethylene terephthalate.” Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Samsung estimates you’ll be able to use the Eco Remote Control for two years before its battery gives out. That’s a fairly limited life span for something that accompanies a product you’re likely to use for anywhere b...

Samsung is today announcing its upper tier of 2021 8K and 4K TVs. And like TCL and LG before it, the company is moving to a more precise backlighting system that uses Mini LED technology for improved contrast and greater picture quality than its previous full-array local dimming systems — and Samsung’s premium QLED LCD TVs were already impressive. The latest Mini LED advancements are being branded as “Neo QLED” and will be found in several different tiers in the 2021 lineup. There are two 8K models: the QN900A (a successor to last year’s top-tier 8K QLED with barely there bezels) and the QN800A. From there, three series of 4K TVs will get Mini LED: the QN95A, QN90A, and QN85A. Mini LED lets Samsung pack more LEDs into its premium TVs for brightness that’s “more finely controlled.” (Note: A...

LG’s new vacuum cleaner, the ridiculously named LG CordZeroThinQ A9 Kompressor Plus, should be a little easier to empty than most cordless vacuums. Its charging station is equipped with a “fully-automated dust removal system,” which sucks the contents of the vac’s dustbin into a dust bag as the device charges. We’ve seen similar auto-emptying features in robot vacuum cleaners like the iRobot Roomba i7 Plus before, but LG’s solution is more unique in the world of cordless stick vacuums. Samsung sells a Clean Station to work with its upright vacuum cleaner, but using it involves first detaching the vacuum’s dustbin, rather than it happening automatically during charging. Honey, did you charge the LG CordZeroThinQ A9 Kompressor Plus? As someone who frequently has to reach up into the dustbin ...

Amazon is developing a new Alexa-powered device that can track and monitor for signs of sleep apnea using radar, according to a new report from Business Insider. The palm-sized device is reportedly designed to sit on a bedside table and use millimeter-wave radar to sense your breathing, keeping an eye out for interruptions associated with the apnea sleeping disorder. The idea of using radar to monitor sleep isn’t new, and at least one other high profile company has attempted to commercialize the technology. Way back in 2014 Nintendo announced a “non-wearable” device that could track sleep via radio waves. However, less than two years later Nintendo said it wasn’t confident the device could become a viable product, and it was never released. Last month we also saw OnePlus announce a new con...

Microsoft is finally starting to roll out history and tab sync for its Edge browser. After nearly a year since its initial release, some Microsoft Edge users now see the full web history and tab sync features available in their browsers. The roll out is gradual, but you can check to see if it’s available in your country by navigating to settings > profiles > sync and enabling “history” and “open tabs” in the options. Not every country has access to the additional sync features just yet, but we understand the UK is one of the first markets that will see history and tab sync initially. These new features will let Edge users sync all web pages they’ve visited to additional Windows 10 or macOS devices, or even to the mobile versions of Edge for iOS and Android. You will need to head into...

Verizon is indefinitely delaying the shutdown of its 3G network, pushing back the original plan for the network to shutter at the end of 2020 to an as-yet-undetermined point in the future. The news comes from Verizon spokesperson Kevin King, who tells Light Reading, “Our 3G network is operational and we don’t have a plan to shut it down at this time. We’ll work with customers to move them to newer technology.” According to Light Reading, Verizon previously announced that it planned to shutter the 3G network at the end of 2020, which was already a delay. (The company originally intended to close the network at the end of 2019.) Now, it seems that Verizon is once again punting that decision down the road. The interesting part of this decision is that Verizon is making it solely for customers...

The Nest Cam IQ Outdoor is no longer available to buy, Google has confirmed to 9to5Google, after the site noticed that the camera was out of stock in most countries around the world. The company says, however, that “Nest will keep investing in new innovations” including a “new lineup of security cameras for 2021.” For now, Google still sells the $129 Nest Cam Indoor, the $299 Next Cam IQ Indoor, and the $199 Nest Cam Outdoor. The IQ models have upgraded video quality and AI-based features like face and pet recognition. Google says it will continue to support its existing Nest cameras with new features and security updates. None of the current hardware is newer than 2017, though, so an upgrade is probably overdue. Google didn’t provide any details on what the new Nest Cam lineup will actual...

GitHub says it will now offer its full range of services in Iran, after imposing restrictions on the platform for Iranian developers due to US sanctions. The changes are due to an exemption granted by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the sanction enforcement arm of the US Treasury Department. “Today we are announcing a breakthrough: we have secured a license from the US government to offer GitHub to developers in Iran. This includes all services for individuals and organizations, private and public, free and paid,” GitHub CEO Nat Friedman wrote in a blog post published Tuesday. “Over the course of two years, we were able to demonstrate how developer use of GitHub advances human progress, international communication, and the enduring US foreign policy of promoting free speech an...

Tile is working on a new tracker that relies on ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, which would put the company in direct competition with Apple’s yet-to-be-announced AirTags, according to a report from TechCrunch. The new tracker would go a step further than the company’s Bluetooth devices by allowing you to know more precisely where a lost item is in relationship to yourself, without having to listen for a chime the tracker plays. Apple’s AirTags haven’t been officially announced, but there’s already a list of potential features they might have, like the ability to remind you if you’ve left an item behind or help you find lost items using augmented reality. Samsung has also expressed interest in offering similar features, so Tile could be sharing space with two larger companies. Apple demoe...

The Apple Watch’s ability to act as a camera remote for your phone got a mention in its announcement keynote, so it’s been around a while, but I’ve only ever used it once or twice to take group pictures. Twitter user @PeterSciretta, however, has pointed out that you can also use it as a vlogging aid. Doing this is simple: On your watch, go to the Camera Remote app. This will open the camera app on your iPhone, and you can switch it to video mode, set it up, and record. You don’t even have to strap your watch to your phone like he does in the tweet; the remote camera will totally work while your watch is on your wrist. I’ve shot videos on my phone before, and it was often an exercise in frustration trying to get the framing right. There was a lot of running back and forth, recording short c...

Gabe Teninbaum, a professor at Suffolk University Law School, is calling on ExamSoft to fix a serious bug with its test-taking software: failure to recognize faces. It’s a problem that can delay test takers — or bar them from starting their exams altogether — and per reports, it disproportionately impacts people with dark skin tones. ExamSoft’s software records students while they complete remote exams and monitors for signs of academic dishonesty. Teninbaum’s report addresses an ExamSoft feature called ExamID, which aims to verify that test-takers are who they say they are. The first time a student logs into their exam portal, they upload a photo of themselves (their “baseline image”); they’re then prompted to take another selfie before beginning future exams, which the software checks ag...

Five days into the new year, and TikTok’s hottest 2021 trend is teens using enterprise software to go viral. As if the coronavirus pandemic hadn’t already blurred the lines between work and home enough, students and teens are going viral on TikTok after making Notion boards that mimic teen Tumblr feeds. Some users filled their Notion headers with vibey coffeehouse photos or pictures of anime or other characters that inspire them. Navigating around Notion’s website, many people wouldn’t expect to see a bunch of teenagers using the software as replacements for their school planners. The site features tweets from folks like XOXO Festival organizer Andy Baio and other Silicon Valley pseudo-celebrities touting how they use the trendy app to keep their tech teams organized as marketing. It’s pre...